Nevermore
by YoBeezy
Summary: In the end we both saw the truth. He saw the light I had been pressing him to find and I saw the darkness that had sheltered his ill thoughts. And when I asked if I would ever see him after this, he left me with few words to remember- "never again."
1. Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

**A/N:** Ever since Madara had that talk with Sasuke stating that when Itachi slaughtered his clan he also took out his lover-I've wanted to write a story based on that line. So here is my try at a story based entirely before the massacre, with a few twists so you don't blow right through my plot. I know it's short but hey, it's a prologue. The next ones will indeed by longer. So if you happen to like this part feel free to review, give love, you know the usual. To those of you that have asked me to write an Itachi based story...please don't hate if it's not what you expected. I just don't think I'd be able to write a story where the girl joins Akatsuki. I've seen it so much is seems a tad overplayed, but this idea probably is as well. Go figure. Also, please remember, if any of this is confusing...the next couple chapters should reverse that affect. Alright, read on and be generous...

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Prologue:

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."**

* * *

**

"_I wonder what it feels like to sleep on a bed of clouds?" Her eyes swept over the crowded blue sky with a sense of wonder that only a child her age could possess, endlessly inquisitive to the bright world around her. "Do you think it's soft?" The innocent question was directed to the boy that sat to her left, the exact opposite of the radiant child. His dark eyes shifted towards her in an almost bored manner before he opened his mouth to speak._

"_I imagine it would be wet and cold. Not to mention, you can't sleep on a cloud." She challenged his answer with a frown before turning away from the boy who seemingly took pleasure from ruining the small things that made her smile._

"_You're no fun Itachi-chan." For a brief moment he stared at her, a curious expression on his young face. The seven year old boy narrowed his eyes at the sudden question that burned into his mind, he couldn't help but ask. No matter how rude it might of seemed, his mother wasn't there to scold him anyways._

"_What kind of Uchiha are you?" She kept her eyes glued to the air above her, every now and then her deep charcoal irises flickered from cloud to cloud trying to catch any small movement they made as they shifted in the wind. Coffee colored locks shivered in the breeze, wrapping around her shoulders in soft curls that glowed in the warm sunlight, "Hinamei?" He wasn't sure she had even heard him. Sometimes she got so lost in her own head she wasn't aware of what was happening around her. But that was Hinamei, head in the clouds and eyes in the stars. A strange girl._

_Finally, she broke away from her sights to settle her eyes back on the brooding boy. In all seriousness she softly replied, "whatever kind you want me to be."

* * *

_

Itachi was _always_ criticizing me. According to him I couldn't do anything right or better yet, I did everything wrong. He even had the nerve to tell me I walked like I was blind, that boy was so proud. But it was to be expected, after all most Uchiha men were full of themselves.

All for the wrong reason, but it didn't matter. He would always think he was better than me.

In his own words, I gave the Uchiha clan a bad name. It was a shame I never had the courage to tell him that the Uchiha's had given _themselves _a bad name from the start and that I had nothing to do with it. Maybe it made him feel better, judging every action I took. Maybe he wanted me to say something back, for once in his life have someone tell him he wasn't perfect. Because no one else ever dared to say he wasn't. Not to his face anyway.

But that was all fine, I didn't mind.

I was happy enough just knowing he was my friend. Not that he would ever admit it, being friends with Uchiha Hinamei was like being friends with a rock. It didn't make sense and well, you just didn't do it. But I knew we were friends. He made that plenty clear by sticking around me for so long as it was. As much as he complained, I knew deep down he yearned for my company just as much as I yearned for his.

He was my complete opposite, but maybe that's what balanced us out in the end. It was just enough madness to create a sort of makeshift utopia between the two of us. But if I ever told him that he would only tell me in return, "you never make any sense, can't you stop doing that?" In truth, I couldn't. That was who I was and the reality of it all was, that was the person he ended up falling in love with.

If you could even call it love.

Of course, this was all before Itachi decided to see the world in neutral colors. He told me once he was moving forward but to the rest of us it all just seemed like he was losing his mind to some crazed ideal. What that ideal was we never knew, it's not like he talked to anyone. He was, how do I say it, a thinker. He kept to himself and stole his secrets far away into the back of his mind. We became distant and soon I started to realized that maybe Itachi wanted it like that. He didn't want a burden, he even treated Sasuke-kun like he didn't have the time. I blamed it on the clan, they were all born with a natural arrogance that made them want to be better than everyone else. Like the world was beneath them and every person on that inferior planet were nothing but worms. Disgusting creatures that were better off buried under dirt. Dare I say that's how each one of them thought, all of them except Itachi. Towards the end he started to resent his own people, and that led me to believe that was the reason he sought me out for comfort in the end.

Because I wasn't like any Uchiha he had ever known, I was the worst of them all as he would say.

Shisui once told me, 'Uchiha men don't fall in love.' But I really shouldn't be quoting him, he was a terrible example considering he fell in love time and time again with every girl that ever batted their eyelashes at him. And trust me, there were plenty.

Then again, this isn't a real love story. It never was and no matter which way I twist it, it can't ever be one.

In the end we both saw the truth. He saw the light I had been pressing him to find and I saw the darkness that had sheltered his ill thoughts. And when I asked if I would ever see him again, he left me with few words to remember-

"_Never again."_


	2. Sunspots on Her Utopia

**A/N:** So the story really begins now, I might later on change the POV once their not so little. Considering it would be a little hard to write from a five year old's point of view. I wouldn't even want to try. Thank you for the alerts/favorites and to animalbones for the nice review. I'm glad you think that way :)

So read ahead and don't be shy with what you think :D

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Chapter One:

"Sunspots on Her Utopia."

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"_That damn child has run off again!"_

It was a well known fact among the clan that young Hinamei should never be out of an adults line of sight for she had a terrible habit of running off to play in the open city of the leaf. Sometimes she played within the compound but usually outside the walls is where she decided to go, this day was no different save for one special occasion. Following traditional clan methods, during the child's fifth year they would meet their companion for the arranged marriage that was decided years before there birth. In this case, the two suitors were Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Hinamei-both of five years of age and distant cousins from two sides of the compound.

The sun rose high over Konoha, it was slightly humid under the cover of the tall trees but under the sun it was worse. The young girl pressed her back tightly against the trunk of the tree, breathing deep in the air of the clear sunny day. "Kaa-san should be coming soon," she said with a frown. Already her meeting with her suitor had passed two hours late, it wasn't that she was scared.

She just didn't want to go.

And that was enough reason for her, enough justification to run out of the compound and play among the blooming tulips and lilacs. Like they always did in late summer around this place, blooming in pastel colors that reminded her of babies. Always so soft, she clutched in her hand a bundle of flowers-ready in her head was an excuse that she would relay to her mother when she did happen to find her.

It had to work, it _always_ worked and she really just didn't want to go.

At the time she didn't quite grasp the situation. What was arranged marriage to that of a five year old but an extended play date? But her mind didn't stop reeling until she wondered if she would even like this person she would meet. Was it possible she would spend the rest of her life with someone she didn't even get along with? She got so worked up that her hand crushed the stems of the flowers, smearing her hands in the wet green liquid the stems usually emanated when injured. "Hinamei, where are you!"

And there it was, her cue.

The small child stepped from behind the tree and pulled her face into an innocent mask. Trying her hardest not to flinch when she saw her mothers rage painted on her sharp Uchiha features. "Kaa-san I-"

"You brat, you knew we had to be somewhere at noon and you still have the gall to run off! I taught you better-now it's you who will have to apologize to Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san for our blatant disrespect." Her mother wrapped a wrist around the girl's thin wrist, prying her hand apart and frowning at the green smudges on her hand.

The flowers dropped to the ground, bent, ugly, and still seeping from Hinamei's tight grip.

"_But Kaa-san I picked flowers for them-"_ She knew better, those excuses, they hardly ever worked. After her mother had wiped her hand as clean as she could, she pulled the small girl behind her back towards the compound. Only after fifteen minutes of walking, they arrived at the front porch where Mikoto sat waiting, a warm smile on her face when she caught sight of the two.

"I must apologize for our tardiness, this one-"she nudged the five year old in the back and gingerly, Hinamei took a step forward with her head down. As she glanced up through her long lashes she matched eyes with the young mother, trying her hardest to show she was genuinely sincere-as mother would have liked it.

"I'm really sorry, it's my fault we're late…I ran away, _again_." She said, saying the same words her mother asked her to say. To her blatant surprise Mikoto laughed lightly, like bells in the silence. She ran her slender fingers over Hinamei's head and motioned to come inside.

"It's fine, Itachi-kun has been occupying himself well. I'm sure he's hardly noticed." The young girls eyes looked over at the lovely woman, surely if his mother was such a delight he couldn't be too far from the same could he? They removed their shoes and stepped into the house, Mikoto then called for Itachi. The two older women looked at each other, in a way sizing up the other in silent respect. Her own mother looked away, it's true she wasn't as young or radiant as the other woman. _That boy is taking too long, _she thought rudely. She clenched and unclenched her hands, appreciating the tiny tug her skin gave when it stuck together. Still stained green, she wiped them on her dress. Finally, footsteps could be heard from around the corner and as soon as she brought her eyes up she was matched with an intense stare from their new guest.

A challenge is what it looked like.

Itachi was, well, an Uchiha. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. He looked like she did, like they all did. It was as she expected but in turn she appreciated the resemblance. It was comforting. The most recognizable part about him were the two creases that ran the length under his eyes. Like he never slept. It was unnerving but not quite as unsettling as the look that cut across his boyish features.

He looked like he couldn't have been any more bored.

"What's wrong with him?" Hinamei asked suddenly, breaking the silence that was slowly smothering the room.

A slap.

She knew though, she deserved that. Itachi quirked an eyebrow at her before shaking his head. Already he found her presence degrading. Was this what all the hype was about? "Hinamei-kun! That is no way to speak to him, nor anyone!" Her mother's dark eyes turned towards Mikoto's and she knitted her eyebrows together in deep humiliation. "I'm so sorry, she's normally more well behaved." Mikoto stared down at the young girl, her finger tapping against her face in curious thought. Finally she gave a small shrug and rested her slender hand on the senior's shoulder.

"After all, they're just children. I'm sure this is just as nerve-wracking for her as it is for my dear Itachi. Let them get to know each other more, I'm sure they'll better get along. Now, would you care for some tea?" With a hesitant nod she accepted, moving to follow Mikoto out of the room. Instead she knelt in front of her child and gave a stern look.

"Play nice." Was all her mother said to her, that warning laced in between her words slyly. She knew her mother well enough to know it would be wise to watch her mouth. After the spoke, she stood up and left the room, sparing a daring stare at Hinamei. In reaction the girl huffed-it was easy for her to say! She turned her attention back to the silent boy and with all of her patience she bent her small body low to her knees. It felt degrading but it was better than facing her mother's angry face for the third time today.

"My name is Uchiha Hinamei, it's nice to meet you Itachi-chan!" She rushed her words out, making them sound like one continuous word. Being taught it wasn't polite to stand up before the other spoke, she stayed bow. Until her patience dwindled. Peeking up through her hair she watched the young boy look away in embarrassment. He shook his head once more at her act before he turned to walk away from the smaller girl. In an instant her body stood up, her hands flew to her hips and she scowled- "Wait! You can't just go!"

"And why not?" He replied, narrowing his eyes at her outburst. For a moment she stuttered, tapping her fingers together while she tried to think of a good reason as to why he should wait. But he patience wasn't everlasting either.

"Your Kaa-san! She said, uh…she said you have to get to know me more! Look, you're not even trying." But the boy didn't seem to care, like a bug on his shoulder he brushed her off, turning his back to her. "But Itachi-chan!"

"What do you want?" He asked rudely, so rudely all she could do was blink at his tone. Was she really that bad of company? He waited for an answer, but nothing came. She was awestruck at how terrible he already seemed to be. Dare she say, she might have hated the boy. His fist clenched and he turned away for good, "Do you have to be so _weird?"_

Hinamei's shoulders drooped at his words as he walked away into a branching room. She was left alone in a wide space in a house she didn't know-what a jerk. She looked at her own feet, watching as droplets of salted water fell to the floor in tiny circles. They ran down her cheeks and neck, staining the collar of her pink dress. "You're weird too," she said to no one, wishing he was there to hear her insult. Suddenly a sound broke through her gloom and she brought her small, red face up. It was a sound she absolutely _loved-_an unexplainable fascination she had developed since she was two.

The sound of a new baby.

Slowly, she wandered down the empty corridor where she heard the wails coming from, and from inside an open room she finally found her source. The small cherub was clenching his fists, his eyes were tightly shut and his mouth was open in loud cries. "It's okay little baby," she cooed, wiggling her small fingers over the bassinette. His obsidian eyes opened up at the same time his mouth closed in curious wonder. His black hair stuck up in a crown around his head and a smooth hand reach up to touch her waggling digits-and then he laughed in wild delight.

"Don't you know it's rude to wander around someone's house?" Itachi said from the doorway, "don't touch him." She snapped her head back to the door frame and narrowed her eyes. It was only thanks to her did the baby stop crying.

"He touched me and I was only trying to help him." She replied in self defense, her eyebrows tilted upwards and a deep frown settled on her rosy lips. "You don't have to be so mean you know." The boy scowled and stepped up to her, brushing past her so he could slip his arms around the baby boy to pick him up, he cradled him close and glared at the girl who was watching him enviously.

"Now, go away-" and he held the cooing baby to his chest. Suddenly without warning she clenched her fist and held them at her side, opening her mouth he looked back in curiosity. Oh, how he regretted doing that.

"Stop being such a jerk to me! You can't treat your new girlfriend like that, I'll tell!" She raised her voice so loud that Sasuke began wailing, frightened by the noise. Itachi scowled deeply at the five year olds tantrum. And desperately he wanted to know whose _idiotic_ idea this was.

"Look what you did, you big baby." Itachi growled, trying to hush the crying child with light bounces. She looked at him with wide eyes, her bottom lip quivering dangerously. "And, you're _not _my girlfriend." That did it for her, she broke into a wail and stormed past him. He hushed the small baby just as she cried out from down the hall-

"Kaa-san! I hate him!"


	3. Encounters of the Bitter Kind

Chapter Two:

"Encounters of the Bitter Kind."

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At the time, I didn't get it. But what could anyone have expected-being so young and naïve. Back then I truly thought this whole arrangement would outgrow itself and in its place I would be able to find my own happiness. Not one that had been assigned to me years before my birth.

But as I grew older I began to understand.

It wasn't just chance Itachi and I had been chosen, my family had little to its name and in that way my father and mother found an escape to that dying flame. By marrying me off to a high class family with a reputation among the clan. It all led back to my roots, my grandfather of many past generations gave us what respect we had. But soon people forget and with that came another chance at respect, a chance they jumped at.

His name was Uchiha Hujiko and as rumor had it, he fought along side the infamous Uchiha Madara in the great wars against the Senju clan. It was told they had much respect for each other as Uchiha men, as warriors.

It wasn't until the day one of their enemies became Hokage did Hujiko lose respect for his fellow brother. Madara spent years prior to that speaking of change among the clans and all it turned out to be was a ploy for some idea he had bred in his mind. He stood on his pedestal, and as leader of the Uchiha clan he worked hard to convince them all to uproot Hashirama's power from the ground up. In his eyes, Hashirama was no better a Hokage than a dying mutt would have been. He must have felt strongly about the Uchiha clan falling out of power, so strongly he was willing to risk the entire treaty on a vague perception. When they all realized Madara was becoming more a false idol in their eyes they took action and cut their loyalties. In Hujiko's case, he cut his ties as comrades and supported the idea that Madara be abandoned by the clan and left to his own bloodthirsty ideals.

Soon after, Hujiko became more than he could have ever thought. A respected counselor to the Uchiha people-along with his work with the first Hokage, he did a lot for our clan. In a way, he rekindled the lost respect we had gathered upon our heads, he made peace from nothing. In the end, he died to the hands of Madara, the very man he had fought along side with. It was at the Valley of the End where he fell, another causality in the delicate throws of war.

People then remembered his name and he died with a mark left on his people and the entire leaf village.

But whose to say, stories aren't all true after all.

It was a shame that after that, each generation after him paled in comparison to his noble deeds. We became a family of failed shinobi, disgraced or pathetic in our work.

And I was no exception.

I never had it in me to be a ninja. I was born a dreamer, I found peace in my own head time and time again-when I could have been training to be a killer. But it just wasn't me and when I realized this it was only my luck that my family had foreseen my failures years before I had a chance to disappoint. Somehow they all knew what Itachi would do for us, what kind of prodigy he would turn out to be. And somehow they knew we'd manage and find our own bittersweet niches within each other…

* * *

Her mothers wrath had never been greater than it had that day. From where she stood, Hinamei was surprised her mother didn't just burst into a million tiny burning pieces, she was that angry. And it was all because of Hinamei's mouth-so willing and careless. "Do you realize what you could have done, Hinamei that family is all we have to our name now!" The small child sat on the floor, staring at her hands through red, blurry eyes. She wasn't listening, more or less drowning in her own self pity. "They have everything, they are your only chance at being happy and being more than, than-this!"

"But-but Kaa-san, you didn't hear the awful things he said to me!" She wailed out, slapping her hands against the polished wood floor. Parents, they were all the same to her. So unfair and unseeing. Blind as they were she always hoped one day they would see she was right.

"I don't care what he said to you, you have no choice in the matter. You're lucky Mikoto-san was so understanding and kind, you would be bruised if she hadn't." The young girl flinched at her tone, she wasn't kidding. "Get used to it, you'll be seeing a lot of that boy now. He is forever a part of your life and you are to his, I expect you to use that head of yours and realize…you're not just doing this for us." Her mother's black eyes fell to the floor. She never liked admitting her uselessness to anyone, let alone her five year old daughter. "I beg of you Hinamei, turn the other cheek. Kill him with kindness…he'll come around. He has no choice but to." The clock ticked throughout the silent house, her father was asleep, he was when she came home.

Not that it was a surprise to anyone, the man was lazy and useless. He slept like he breathed.

Constantly.

"I'm sorry Kaa-san, I'll be better." A smile graced her mothers face and in the light she looked beautiful, ten years young without a worry on her head. The woman slipped forward, kissing lightly the top of Hinamei's dark brown hair before she stood up and beckoned her daughter to do the same.

"It's late, you should have been in bed an hour ago. Come, tomorrow you've got to see him again and this time I expect you to be on your best behavior. There's no need to say everything you think." Her hand wrapped around the girl's smaller one and with a wide yawn Hinamei finally realized just how tired she was. She hardly ever cried this much at one time.

"I'm ready, I'll be a good girl tomorrow, just wait." Her energy depleted after her last happy outburst and she drooped her head low. Each shallow breath pushed her chin off of chest and with it her eyes fell heavy. Her mother carried her the rest of the way into her room until she was cradling the blankets close to her neck. A small mumble left the child's lips and with one last soft smile, her mother left her alone to her dreams.

It was the soft peaking rays of sunlight that finally stirred the small child from her sleep. With a wide yawn on her lips she rolled from the bed and stepped from her room into the hall. Normally, it would have taken at least a half hour to remove herself from her bed but this morning was different. A sweet smell drifted through the air, pulling her towards the kitchen clutching at her empty stomach. Kaa-san never baked so early in the morning unless there was some kind of special occasion. She peeked around the corner and watched her mother hum a soft song to herself while she removed the pans from her oven, "You're not getting any of this Hinamei," she finally said, turning on her heel to eye the startled girl. As soon as she recovered Hinamei balled her fists and pushed her bottom lip out.

Of course, her mother never baked anything good for them.

"Well, who else is going to eat it?" She eyed the anpan curiously until her mother said those dreaded words Hinamei would have rather not heard.

"After it cools, _you_ will be taking it to Fugaku-san and his family. It's the least we could do to make up for your behavior yesterday." Hinamei opened her mouth in protest but was cut off by her mother's persistent drabble, "I expect you to spare some time for Itachi-chan as well, get to know him." It was suddenly like everything in the universe came crashing down around her head.

The last thing she wanted to do was spare some time for that rude boy.

Stomping off was the only thing she could manage that could get her point across firmly. Not that anyone was paying attention. After her bath, her mother forced her into a simple blue dress set and pulled her hair back into a bun before pushing her out the door with a basket full of fresh anpan. Hinamei stood outside her house with a frown set into her pretty features, looking up at the blazing sky with distaste. It was hot, even under the shelter of her roof she felt the heat sink in through her small sweater. Slyly, she looked around and through the window watched as her mother prepared the morning tea and as soon as she felt it was safe she stripped her sweater off and threw it into the nearby bushes. The basket slipped back into her small fingers and she took off running to the other side of the compound.

She got half way before she felt the sun take a toll on her already pink shoulders. It took twenty minutes longer for her to reach the right house before she rapped on the door sharply. The basket balanced between both hands and reached an inch higher than her feet, not to mention it weighed almost half as much as she did. When the door opened Hinamei grinned and held the basket up. "Ohayo Uchiha-san! Kaa-san baked some sweets for your family this morning!" The woman blinked before a wide smile replaced her confusion, in one arm was the small beaming baby she had wanted so badly to play with yesterday and with the other she opened the door wider.

"Come in Hinamei-kun, please." She accepted happily, pulling off her shoes and hauling the large basket next to her. "I'm afraid Itachi isn't home right now," The coy child did her best to pull her sweet face into one of heavy disappointment, looking up at Mikoto from under her lashes. "But in case you wanted to see him and maybe bring him a few rolls, I could tell you where to find him." Another forced smile found her face and she nodded exuberantly. Reminding herself not to pull that stunt again. Mikoto took the basket and pulled from her cabinet a large white napkin, lying it flat among the surface she filled it with five rolls and tied it tightly shut. "You know where the training grounds are?"

Of course she did, she watched her father practice there for months prior, when he actually thought it would help his cause. She nodded and took the napkin from her, bowing low and muttering a thanks. Mikoto laughed in response and walked her to the door, as soon as she was outside and away from Mikoto's careful eyes she let out a loud aggravated sigh, storming away in a fury as she set off towards the training grounds.

It took ten minutes to walk there from where she started but purposely she managed to make it there in twenty. It wasn't because of her dread of seeing Itachi again but more or less her mind wandered off to better places and in turn veered her off track. Finally, she arrived at the training grounds only to find it completely empty.

Another growl left her mouth. The girl shut her eyes and turned her head upwards, knowing she would have been better off not going. Until a shift in the air caught her attention and someone breathed behind her ear, _"boo." _Her eyes went wide and her tiny fingers unlatched the knotted napkin, she turned on her heel as fast as she could only to come up with more empty space. Suddenly that familiar burning flashed across her cheeks.

"What have we got here?" A delighted voice called from behind her, the joke had gone far enough and she whipped around to come face to face with a boy she hadn't ever seen. His hair was a black, tousled mess a top his head, delicate wisps making him look more like a nymph than any shinobi she had ever seen. But there he stood as clear as day toting a leaf headband around his forehead. From the looks of it he couldn't have been more than three years older than she was. The Uchiha boy laughed at the look of fear that was scrawled on her face before he bent down to pick up the napkin she had dropped. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very nice. Here," she eyed him hesitantly before taking back the napkin, with a slight head nod she stepped back. "Itachi, do you know this girl?" Her eyes followed his and she narrowed her sights when she caught him perching on the wall behind her.

"Unfortunately, what are _you _doing here?" Ignoring his jab she held out the napkin and waved it about like a burden.

"It's anpan, I was told to give you some." Another whimsical laugh filled the air and she realized the new boy was laughing at the look that suddenly washed over Itachi's face. He shook his head at Hinamei and jumped off the wall. The girl brought her dark eyes up to Itachi's face and for a slight second she thought she might have seen guilt flit across his features, but the chances of that remained slim. Finally, he stepped forward and took it from her, muttering a slight 'thank you' while keeping his eyes averted from her own curious gaze.

"Is that all you've come for then?" The older boy asked, bending down to her level to further examine her. She tucked in her bottom lip and looked away, ashamed to be scrutinized by such an older boy.

"I have to spend time with Itachi-chan, Kaa-san is making me." Itachi sighed and stepped closer, looking at the older boy with titled eyebrows. "Don't stop training because of me, I can watch." She offered helpfully, looking up at both boys with a glimmer in her eye. At least if Itachi was training he was busy and less able to spend time with her.

Not that he would want to at any rate.

"Shisui, maybe it's best-" But the older boy held a hand up at Itachi's words. He shook his head and grinned happily.

"I have a better idea, how about we teach you instead? This is getting boring anyway." Her heart raced and happily, an excited smile found her rosy lips. She nodded exuberantly and let slip a slight laugh at the thrill of being able to throw around sharp implements. Itachi muttered something before walking away with a sour look on his face, not thrilled to have Hinamei in on their training time.

Without warning, Itachi whipped around on his heel and scowled, directing his bitterness primarily towards Shisui this time, "that's fine-but if she gets in the way I'm going home."

With a wave of his hand he dismissed Itachi's gloom and instead reached down into his pouch and pulled out a razor sharp kunai, "first, let's see how good you can throw _little girl."_


	4. A Light at the End

**A/N:** I must apologize for my horrendously late update. Not only am I working a full time job, on the two days off I have classes in the morning-AND I'm moving out in four months sooo, I'm seriously strung up. But not to worry, I do plan on updating quicker than this, usually. Also on a side note-I'm thinking that this story might not be long but in fact I might make a sequel when the time comes. And I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I was kind of rushed to get it up but hopefully the next one is longer and also quicker. Thanks for reading and all the alerts and what not :)

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Chapter Three:

"A Light at the End."

* * *

"That was absolutely," he seemed to struggle with his words until a slight smirk graced his lips. "Terrible." With a nod of his head he confirmed his feelings and again, mocked the frowning girl with his onyx eyes. "You can't be serious, can you?"

With nimble fingers she let her hair down, watching it curl around her shoulders to distract herself from Itachi's harsh words. Out of fifteen kunai, only three of them had actually grazed the target. Not one stuck to it. She blamed it on the pressure of being watched by both boys, scrutinizing her every move and ready to call out her failures. She was convinced if they hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been a problem hitting targets. Despite Itachi's rude behavior, Shisui stood behind his shoulder with a smug grin plastered on his face. "For her first time, I don't think it was really that bad." Itachi replied with a grunt and narrowed his eyes at the still silent Hinamei. "Besides, we can't all be an Uchiha prodigy now can we?"

"He has a point," Hinamei replied, raising a single brow and delivering a now ego bruising smirk at the scowling boy in front of her. At first he considered telling her to shut up but upon realizing he was outnumbered he simply replied with a small 'hn' and walked away. "How do you deal with him?" She sighed at the older boy who watched after his partner with slight interest, Shisui averted his eyes back towards Hinamei and managed a playful smile.

"He means well, honestly. That's just the way he is I suppose." They both turned to look at Itachi who was currently hitting the target more accurately than she could ever dream of, a small smile found her lips. "Try to look at it as constructive criticism."

"Well, he doesn't talk to you like that." He responded just the way she thought he would, like she should know better than to ask something so painfully obvious. Itachi respected him, and more in just a senior status type of way. He genuinely looked up to him, Itachi saw him as more than a comrade. It was something Hinamei almost envied.

"You've known him for what, a day? Don't expect too much now." Suddenly her face turned brighter and a sly smile crossed her mind. If Shisui could earn his respect, why couldn't she? Of course, she never expected him to just jump to her feet, but she was willing to earn it. Shisui gave her a curious look and before he could ask she darted to his left and ran towards the sullen boy beyond her.

"Itachi-chan! Hey, answer me!" Slowly, he turned to look and frowned. He didn't answer but instead crossed his arms in subtle defiance all the while Shisui watched on with mild interest. "If I'm such a terrible aim, why don't you teach me?"

For a slight second she thought he might actually laugh in her face. "I don't have the time," he tossed her a belittling glare and huffed, "nor the patience. Why don't you ask Shisui, he seems to be stupid enough to try to train the untrainable. " Normally, she would have lost her mouth at his blatant rudeness but instead this time she shook her head and matched his stare with an equally daring gaze.

"Because, I want _you_ to teach me." After all, what better way to earn his respect than by surpassing his expectations of her? It wasn't just Hinamei who caught his eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly recovered and returned to his neutral manner. She waited expectantly as he tapped a finger to his chin and thought about it.

Or, more or less pretended to think about it. "No-like I said, I haven't the time."

"But-" He shot her a look that sent her hands to her mouth. When he said no, he _meant_ it. In an instant he whipped a kunai out from his belt pouch and threw it with full force past her head. From the corner of her eye she saw large wisps of chocolate colored hair whip up through the air, the force of the kunai cutting straight through her silken strands. She couldn't move within an inch, paralyzed by his sudden display of recklessness. Her eyes widened in fear and with a slight tug at the corners of his mouth, the kunai hit the center of the target.

And once more, the sound of Shisui's light laughter caught onto the breeze.

* * *

She walked home with a bitter scowl plastered on her delicate features. Between her fingers she rubbed the now short strands of hair, all the while trying not to cry at Itachi's disregard. "What a jerk, Kaa-san is going to be so mad at me." Sniveling, she dropped her hair and balled her hands into tiny fists. The day had been uneventful, while she had spent more time with Itachi and Shisui, the whole time she kept quiet. Truth was, she was angry at his recklessness, angry at Shisui for encouraging Itachi's behavior, and mad at herself for not saying anything to either of them. It was unlike her but at the same time she felt she had to obey her mother's orders, regardless if they deserved it or not. Finally, she left. Without a word being said to either of them, she just couldn't take it anymore. Beads of sweat came rolling down her cheeks and with a rough sigh she swerved off the road and sat herself under the shade of a tree, summer couldn't end fast enough in her opinion.

The dirt crawled up her legs and with her tiny fingers she traced her name in the soft, cool ground. "It's not even worth it," she told herself angrily, why would she need Itachi's respect in the first place? It's not like he was anything worth impressing, he was just another stupid boy with an oversized ego. Something the Uchiha clan seemed to have in great numbers. With a sigh on her red face she stood up and made her way back into the blistering heat on the road towards her house. Upon walking into the front door she was met with her overly thrilled mother, happy to have heard from Mikoto how Hinamei had successfully dropped off the sweets.

"How was your day, you got along better with Itachi-kun today didn't you?" Hinamei answered with a scowl. Her mother opened her mouth to respond until she noticed Hinamei's crooked tresses. "You're hair…what the hell happened to it?" Her face suddenly fell angrily and with a tight hand her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. Before the day started her hair reached the length to well under her mid shoulder, and where as half of it still remained at that length the other half, well… "There's at least seven inches gone from this side!"

"It's not my fault Kaa-san," the small girl replied haughtily, crossing her arms as if a point were to be proven. "It's-" Of course. Right when she was about to call that little weasel out her mother had to act.

"Hinamei, I don't want to hear any of your excuses, this is inexcusable."

"But-" Her mother wouldn't hear another ridiculous word if it however, instead she took her daughter by the shoulders and sat her in the center of the kitchen. To the younger's horror her mother pulled out a pair of sharpened scissors and with an angry scowl on her face she took them to her daughters hair, "Don't do it!" But it was too late, locks of hair fell to the floor.

Come later that evening, after dinner, Hinamei sat on her bed in nothing but an oversized shirt. Her face was red and puffy with tears and her fists were white at the knuckle with rage. When her mother first started cutting her hair she had it at the line where Itachi had cut. It reached her shoulders, that is until her mother cut at an odd angle and sliced it two inches higher than it had been. Her hair was now tucked behind her ears and really, she thought she looked like a boy. Not only that, but it irked her to even think about how now Itachi's hair was longer than hers. "I swear, I'll make that jerk pay for this!" She said between sobs, looking out her dark window with narrow eyes. She brought the blankets up to her chin and slid down, hiding underneath the covers shyly. She wanted to get her revenge but frankly, how she could face anyone looking like this was something she didn't even want to imagine. A knock on her door brought her out of the sudden glum and she turned around just as the light flooded in.

"Hinamei, dear? I have good news." Her mother stepped into the dark room and knelt by her daughters bed. Hinamei, still hiding under the covers, blinked in response. "You're father… well, they've accepted his offer to be a part of a new squad for the leaf shinobi, today was his first day!" Even in the dark she could tell her mother was just glowing with pride. After a small incident with her father two years ago, he had been let go as a leaf shinobi and since only got by with working small jobs reconstructing houses. It was easy to imagine how happy her mother now was because of this. It finally meant they wouldn't have to live small paycheck by small paycheck.

"Is he home then?" Slight disappointment painted her features, but she no sooner replaced it with a reassuring smile.

"I'm afraid not, he won't be back for three more days. His first mission was a rather big one, but he promised he would come back all in one piece." Another fake smile, it grew wider. "But when he gets back he's going to want to hear about how Itachi-kun is doing. I told Mikoto-san you would be back over tomorrow." Hinamei couldn't help but exclaim out.

"Kaa-san I can't! He's an awful boy, he really us." Why couldn't she just listen? But she never did. With a stern look she bent forward and instead she delivered a swift kiss on the girl's forehead and muttered something along the lines of, _'I'll pretend I never heard that.'_

"Go to bed now, we'll walk down there tomorrow afternoon. You'll need a good night's rest." And with one last forced smile, she left the poor child alone in the dark. She turned over and stared at the moon through the window and for once, smiled. It was always so peaceful at night, when she was finally alone and able to think of anything for no matter how long. Maybe, she thought, that's what sets me apart from Itachi. He seemed so eager to prove himself, to move forward along than anyone else around him. As where Hinamei was completely content to watch the world just pass her by. She couldn't stand the thought of missing a single moment. That was Itachi's problem, he was too focused on his future he never stopped to just watch the sky fade or watch the moon float in the sky till the late hours of the morning. Suddenly, a new goal flashed behind her eyes and a sweet smile tinted her cheeks pink. She could show Itachi the light, she could push him to see the world in all it's beauty.

She knew all he needed was a distraction.

A vessel.

And she would be just that one person who would give it to him.


	5. Our Little Secret

**A/N:** Now before anyone tells me how OOC Itachi is, please keep in mind he's supposed to be five. This is how I perceived him based on his younger self in both the anime and the manga. Except in here, he's a little more hostile. Reminds me of Sasuke, ew. Either way, on with the story! Oh, and please, constructive criticism is always welcome :)

* * *

Chapter Four:

"Our Little Secret."

* * *

"Next year Kaa-san, next year you _must_ enroll me at the academy!" Hinamei danced around the kitchen, slapping her hands together in excitement. General enrollment age was around six, and each day that went by she edged closer to reaching that supposed magic number. "I'll train really hard and then, then I can be a top shinobi like Tou-san!"

"Kunoichi dear, you'll be a kunoichi." Her mother responded while stirring her tea. Hinamei gave a flat look and shrugged her shoulders, continuing to get excited. "You'll be in class with Itachi-kun then too." And there it was, the bubble bursting words her mother seemed so good at producing. Hinamei stopped short and brought her bed ridden head upwards.

"Hm, I suppose he will be there. Either way, I'll be ten times better than he will. He's not so great you know." Normally her mother would have reacted to her rude words but this time she just continued to stir her tea. She yawned widely and Hinamei realized her mother wasn't even entirely awake yet. "I threw kunai yesterday." It was about that time she finally confessed to her crime, as it was, Hinamei wasn't even allowed to play with butter knives let alone an actual weapon. "I wasn't very good but Shisui-chan said I could try again next week." All she received was a nod in response and as she turned around, another yawn. "I'll go get dressed for the day." And she darted off past the table and into the wood hallway. She dug around sloppily in her dresser drawers, there had to be one pair of pants in here. Just one. Her mother was prone to buying cute little dresses, not to say Hinamei didn't like wearing dresses-but you couldn't exactly be a ninja in a dress. Finally, on the bottom of her last drawer she pulled out a pair of thin black pants, she wore them only once around a year ago back when it had snowed. It hadn't snowed since and that resulted in her over abundance of little girl dresses. She hurriedly slipped them on and over the top she pulled on a black shirt, it was sleeveless with a small white bow that wrapped around her waist.

It wasn't exactly what she wanted but for now, it would have to do.

She took one look in the mirror before turning away in disgust. Her normal soft curls were gone and in their place was a flat mess of brown hair, it fell in her eyes and lightly curled around her cheeks. She stuck out her tongue at her reflection before running her small hand through the mess.

Either way, it didn't matter what her hair looked like, she was going to become a strong kunoichi. She didn't have time now to worry about her appearance. Regardless, she still promised Itachi would pay for his recklessness. After a fast breakfast she grabbed some tools and ran up to her mother, tugging on the edge of her dress. "Kaa-san, don't worry about walking with me to Itachi-chan's house, I'm leaving right now." Her mother gave her a soft smile and ruffled her short, pixie hair.

"Really? Well, have fun dear. Please, be careful and don't touch anymore knives." She nodded exuberantly and dashed out the front door, eyes glistening with mischief. Inside of her small back pack where a set of her father's kunai. He had plenty, stealing one set for a day couldn't do much damage could it? Not to mention, now she wouldn't have to see Itachi. Down the road she took a sharp left, heading straight towards the training grounds. When she arrived, she dropped down to the ground and tried to slow her breathing. She never did like to run. The sun bore onto her bare shoulders, making her pale shoulders redden in the heat. The bag dropped to the ground and out of it fell a set of seven kunai, sharp and ready to be thrown. A wide grin found her face and for once she was proud of the steps she had taken.

Of course Kaa-san would never think so but it didn't matter to her, all that mattered now was that she move ahead of that cocky Uchiha. Show him that he's not such a genius after all. The small girl stood in front of the targets, farther away than Shisui had made her stand yesterday. Between her thumb and two top fingers, she gripped the handle of the kunai, resting it above her shoulder. Eyes closed, she cast the knife forward and listened for that sound.

The sound of metal piercing wood.

She opened her dark grey eyes and smiled, the kunai stuck two rings outside the middle target. It was such a shame no one was here to see. As fast as her small hands would allow her to move, she whipped out two more kunai and each of them stuck firmly in the core of the target. "Let's see what Itachi has to say about that." She replied smugly, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're aim is better, but it's still not good. It's the way you're holding the kunai that's throwing you off." Without even having to turn she knew that inflated voice anywhere. She whipped on her heel and with the last kunai in her hand she threw it speeding towards Itachi's overly calm face. Metal clashed into metal and her kunai dropped to the floor. "See what I mean, it's moving too slow. Any moron with a stick could avoid getting hit." He dropped down from the wall he was perched on and moved over to the now sulking girl.

"I thought I was doing good, why do you always have to ruin things Itachi-chan?" He smirked at her and handed the kunai in his hand over to her, she took it cautiously. "What?"

"You wanted my help didn't you?" The metal was cold in her hand and slightly heavier than the last, was he being serious? She crossed her arms and looked away, defiant. "You wouldn't make much of a kunoichi if you couldn't even throw a kunai."

"I'll learn to do other things." It was immature, she knew but at the same time she didn't want to be made a fool by the very person she resented most. "Besides, they can teach me all that in the academy next year." He frowned at this and glared, earning a shiver to fall down her spine. When Itachi looked mad, he definitely made an impression.

"Fine, then I won't help you. If you wouldn't mind," he stepped forward and snatched the kunai out of her hand. "I'll train alone." As he stepped past her a small smile tugged on edge of his lips. One, two, three…

"Wait!" She pulled back her outstretched hand and her cheeks got rosy. It could have been the heat or a blush but Itachi was betting on the latter. "I'm sorry, I'll listen to you." It was a shy side of her he had yet to see and instantly he saw it as a weakness. He stepped back and stared, eyebrow quirked and mouth tight. He didn't like this side at all.

"Don't do that." Her large doe eyes focused on his face and even still, she bit her lip nervously.

"Do what?"

"That, being all nervous. A shinobi doesn't act that way." The wind picked up, swirling the hot summer's heat around her, she blinked the dirt away. Straightening herself up, she stepped back towards him and delivered a firm nod.

"Alright, I won't act like that anymore." A thought suddenly occurred to the dark Uchiha, he brought his eyes slowly down towards her hand and quickly looked back up. She gave a quizzical look and frowned. She might not have known him well but anyone with a look like that couldn't be having a good idea. "What are you thinking Itachi-chan?" Asking, she knew full well she probably wouldn't like his answer.

"Hinamei, have you ever been in pain?" A cloud moved across the sun and momentarily, the world was shrouded in a shadow. She nodded her head and he shook his. "No, I mean, have you ever _really_ been in pain?"

"One time I sprained my ankle out in the sunflower fields. But that was almost three months ago." Itachi's small hand wrapped around hers, extending her palm upwards. In his other hand was gripped the kunai, razor sharp to the edge. She wanted desperately to pull her hand away, not just because of the sharp implement in Itachi's hand but also because she didn't like Itachi touching her in the first place-even though most if it was because of the kunai and it's unsaid threats.

"This will be the first part of your training. Pain tolerance. If you can't keep yourself together when you're injured, you're just dead weight, okay?" His inky black eyes probed her face. As young as he was he was evidently wise beyond his years. It was something that made her feel insecure in more than one way. He brought the kunai over her palm and with the touch of a whisper he reassured her, "No matter what, it will be okay. Now, don't cry. If you cry, you lose." Instinctively, she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and shut her eyes until all she saw were blue dots on a black background. Another whisper, "One, two, three-" The air around her fell dead silence, so silent that she could hear her skin being slit wide open. Her eyes flew open, tears pricking at the edge of her vision with a silent scream trapped between her throat. Shakily, her eyes lowered down to her hand. _Don't look, you don't want to look-_but she couldn't resist. The cut wasn't as deep as she had thought, at this point she would have been surprised if she had seen bone, however, the blood was a different story. "Hold it in!" Itachi glared at her, still grasping her small crimson palm in his. He squeezed gently and finally that scream slipped out.

She had failed. It didn't matter though, she expected it by now.

Tears streamed down her cheek as if it were raining, her mouth was bit back in violent sobs as she watched the blood slip from under her palm to the dry dirt beneath her feet. "Itachi, make it stop!" She said between gritted teeth, for once forgetting her most basic of manners. Her eyes met his and for a second she thought she saw his skin pale, the bleeding was getting worse. He crouched down on her level and took the hem of his shirt between his thumb and forefinger. With his other hand he grabbed a kunai and slid it straight across the hem.

"I didn't mean to-" His teeth grazed his own lip and for once he looked worried. Maybe not so much regarding Hinamei, but rather his own consequences. If his father heard…well he'd rather not think about the outcome. Once the bandage was secured tightly around Hinamei's hand he gave her a half sort of smile. She knew it was forced but even that managed to sooth her nerves a small bit. "You did good."

Her eyes lit up like spring time and a small blush crept it's way to her cheeks. "Really?" They kneeled across from each other in the dirt and in the sun he felt his face redden. If Shisui saw this, he'd never hear the end of it. He had pushed the envelope far enough for one day.

"But really, I didn't cut you that deep-I doubt it hurts _that _bad." Childishly, she stuck her tongue out to the smirking boy. The tears on her cheeks glistened in the sun and before he could say anything else to hurt her feelings he stood, "come to my house, Kaa-san has some medicine I can use on your cut."

"So does this mean you'll train me? Even if I didn't pass your dumb test." She sniffed, standing up as well all while protecting her wound. He set off in a new direction and hurriedly, she followed. Onyx eyes glanced over and he gave a shrug in reply. He should of known that wasn't any kind of answer to leave her satisfied.

"I guess, but once the Academy starts-you're on your own. Oh, and don't tell anyone about that cut. It will be our little secret." A nod and a smile, she stepped in sync with him. Before he lost his chance, he slyly looked over to her until she met his eyes. With a quirk of her brow she frowned, he wouldn't stop staring.

"What?"

A genuine smile met his lips, along with a gleam in his eye that just screamed trouble, "With that hair cut…" the smile turned into a wicked grin and with a snort he finished his insult. "You look just like Sasuke-kun."


	6. The Tenth of October

**A/N:** Okay, I'm really done apologizing for late updates and promising faster ones. I know, I know. I'm so behind it's not funny. Anyways, this chapter...it really irks me. Ignore how fast the whole incident goes by and focus instead on the very tiny fluff I threw in there. Well, as much as you could call if fluff for a couple of little kids. Hm. Anyways, on a side note, I'm very, very, VERY fascinated with Kuroshitsuji. Not saying I'm going to write anything related to that, but hey, if anyone has some, I'll read it :) And, I'm going to throw in an excuse for my tardiness. Has anyone played Halo Reach yet? Exactly. I've come into possession of it and have not put it down. Hence the reason this chapter is coming out weeks too late :( Forgive me, it's a long chapter.

* * *

Chapter Five:

"The Tenth of October."

* * *

Even if it was months later, October even, she remembered the way Itachi had scrubbed at his hands. Trying as hard as he could to get her rusting blood off of his fingers. Since that day, a small scar had marred her palm, it was soft and pink but it was a brutal reminder of just how dedicated she was. Both then and now. Itachi had wrapped her hand tightly, even sparing her kind words when she held back the tears when the alcohol hit the cut. He said she was braver than he had thought and since that day she wanted to prove to him that she was more than he could ever even _imagine. _Because she knew she had it in her. The sun had finally decided to fall, not that it was blazingly hot anymore, now that October had started she had found herself more and more craving the heat. Wearing jackets had never been something she found comfortable. The tenth of October drawled to a final ray of sherbet pink, letting the sun bleed it's sweet light over the entire leaf village. It was at this time that Hinamei was throwing kunai at a target with her eyes closed, grinning as the wood splintered beneath the weapon's tip. "It's too bad Itachi-chan couldn't see this," she peeked open a single eye and clapped her small hands together. Itachi had said he would help her train today but this morning when she had stopped by, to her disappointment, Itachi was stuck babysitting Sasuke all day long. Not that she needed him there anyways, another kunai hit the target.

Soon, the sky got darker, turning a deep navy shade as the minutes wore on. Hinamei looked up and frowned, there was a strange vibe in the air that she finally noticed now that she wasn't involved in her training. It was as if the sky was trembling in fear alone. As uneasy as she was, she sorted her kunai back into her bag and took leave, walking faster than she normally would. As it was her house was nearly on the other side of the compound. She stole her lip in-between her teeth and bit down, something was amiss. People were bustling inside the compound, some likewise aware of the feeling in the air and other's, more naïve. However, as people moved around, sooner they started to disperse until Hinamei felt alone on the dusty road. The sky was growing darker and darker still, she decided that then, maybe running would have been a better choice.

Farther down the block, sitting on the edge of his porch, was Uchiha Itachi. He looked up at the sky and frowned, noticing the tension in the air growing heavier by the second. "What is this awful feeling?" He asked to himself, glancing down as Sasuke began to fuss. As if on cue, Sasuke burst out into a frightened wail. Of course, this night his parents had to go out. "There, there," he mumbled, rocking the small child in his arms. A small smile graced his lips as he stared at the rosy, flustered cheeks of his younger kin. "Don't cry Sasuke. Your big brother's here to protect you, no matter what." Yet, he still kept crying. _Maybe he's cold_, Itachi took the corner of the blanket and tucked it under Sasuke's chin. Finally, he stood up and walked back towards the door. "Fine, fine, we're going in." It was a shame, despite the heaviness that shrouded the air, it was a beautiful night out. The door shut heavily behind him, every step he took the house groaned. Echoing off the empty walls. Sasuke's room seemed to be the only room in the house that didn't seem to be affected by the strange vibe. Sasuke shut his mouth once he was placed in his bassinette. Itachi smiled before turning his attention towards the window. He took a step towards it then froze, the ground was shaking. "Sasuke-kun…" Then the ground uprooted in the distance. His mouth fell agape and he stumbled backwards until he hit the ground dazed. "What…is that?" Sasuke's screams filled the air but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He scrambled back up and placed his palms flat against the window. Eyes wide and trembling he couldn't believe the wreckage of the village, nor the fact that there was a demon swaying against the outskirts of the village. His mind fluttered and without warning he burst from Sasuke's room into the dark trembling hallway, _"Kaa-san, Tou-san!"_ They were still out there somewhere, and he wasn't going to just stand there and wait. His eyes probed the darkness until he reached the door, swinging it open he darted onto his porch with wide, terrified eyes. Only then did a violent scream rip through the air like thunder…

Hinamei rushed through the dirt, tears slipping from her eyes. She never thought it possible to get lost in her own compound, but here she was, lost and at her wit's end. It was the panic that did it, the need to find a safe place to hide. She didn't have the time to go looking for her house now that there was a monster looming over the village. It had come out of nowhere, its hideous rage had splintered the village like it was nothing. Ahead of her she watched as four Uchiha men, all clad in black, running forward towards the edge of the village. "Wait, please!" She cried out, desperately flailing her hand about in front of her. But nobody stopped, there were bigger issues to be handling now. Her foot hit a rock and she went flying towards the ground, her small body screaming out as she hit the rough floor but it was all drown out as soon as the demon opened his mouth again. She closed her eyes, trying desperately to block out the fox that loomed overhead when a hand gripped around her collar and pulled back. Another scream escaped her mouth, "shut up!" a familiar voice hissed into her ear. She was drug up three stairs and into a house where the door was slammed promptly behind her.

"What-what is that thing!" Hinamei's hands slapped to her face and she stared up in fright at the serious boy. Itachi bit his lip and closed his eyes, losing himself in thought. He only reopened them once Hinamei began to cry again. "Itachi-chan, what's happening?" Before he got a chance to answer her eyes lit up and she scrambled to her feet. It was something that Itachi wasn't prepared for as Hinamei came rushing at him, hand outstretched as if to hit him. He moved away out of habit, blocking her with his arm until he realized she wasn't heading for him at all.

She was heading for the door.

Her hand wrapped around the lever to unfasten the lock and with terrifying speed the door swung open, she had one foot out the door before her collar was stuck fast in Itachi's hand. She screamed again but this time it was out of rage. Her dark eyes flashed back at his face and she snarled, cheeks wet and red from crying. Not once had he seen her like this, reckless and brave. Or stupid, he thought snidely. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" He cried out, using his strength to drag her back in through the door. She clawed at the entryway and through gritted teeth demanded to be let go. "You idiot!"

"Tou-san is out there, fighting! He's going to get killed!" Her voice echoed off the walls around them.

"And so will you if you rush out there like that, stupid girl!" Itachi snarled back just as rough, the urgency in her eyes faded and suddenly her body went limp, she collapsed in the doorway and held her face in her hands. Drops of saltwater hit the floor loudly in the quiet house. "My parents are out there too Hinamei, we can't do anything but wait." The tone in his voice reflected a soft sort of comfort but his face however had worry etched across every inch. Extending his hand towards the sobbing girl, she eyed him distrustfully before setting her small palm in his.

"I'm scared Itachi-chan." She mumbled as she followed him back to Sasuke's room, the baby wiggled his hands up at the ceiling before exclaiming his joy at seeing his brother step through the door. Several ground shaking blows rumbled through the house, making everyone in the room tense with jolting fear. Hinamei looked at Itachi and opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off with a smile.

"Me too, but it's going to be okay." He looked out the window to his left and furrowed his slender brow. "It's gone."

"What? What's gone?"

"The demon, I can't see it anymore…but I can still feel it." He wound his small hands up his arms, a chill seeping in from under the door. "Do you want some tea Hinamei?" As confused as she was she nodded, slowly and never tearing her eyes from his stony face. "Come to the kitchen. Bring Sasuke-kun, will you?" And without another word he left through the door to the bedroom. Hinamei turned back towards the bassinette and wrapped her small arms around the even smaller child. Happily, he wrapped his hand around her short hair, tugging lightly.

"Is Itachi-chan alright Sasuke-kun? He seems different." The baby giggled and Hinamei placed his chin over her small shoulder, walking through the door with a silent huff. When she walked into the kitchen Itachi was pouring the hot water into two separate cups, he didn't look up as she sat across from him. "Ita-"

"What were you doing outside this evening?" He pushed a cup towards her and in turn, took Sasuke from her shoulder.

"Training, but Itachi right now that's not important. Didn't you-" Itachi cut her off with a hard stare and a firm mouth, he brought his own tea to his mouth. He didn't need to say anything more, she lowered her eyes and realized he just didn't want to talk about it. He was worried, it was obvious and who wouldn't be? But the last thing he wanted was to appear weak in front of her, nothing more. "I'm sorry."

He responded with a grunt before standing up and walking Sasuke around. "Has your training improved much?" She nodded and when she realized he wasn't looking she replied with a short yes. "You'll have to show me soon," he turned towards her and grinned, his eyes trying to hide the panic. "maybe tomorrow."

He was trying to make her feel more at ease. A gentle gesture unlike anything he normally would display, she nodded exuberantly and smiled back. "Alright then, I will." As soon as he turned back around she looked into her tea and bit back the tears. It didn't matter what Itachi did, all she could think about was her Tou-san. Even the fresh memories of that morning haunted her like a bad dream…

"_Where is my darling Hinamei?" The tall man asked the open air, Hinamei giggled from beneath the table before jumping out and wrapping herself around his leg. It was ten minutes after breakfast, five minutes before he had to leave for another mission._

"_Are you leaving already Tou-san?" She asked, looking up with wide grey eyes. He ruffled her hair before pulling her up to his level, she seemed so small in his grip. Her father was, as the rest of the clan liked to call him, a disgrace. Never being much of a shinobi, he was looked down upon for sporting the great Uchiha name. Until now. "When you come home can you train with me?" She asked, hopping up and down in her father's arms._

"_I've got a big mission today, I won't be coming back until tonight but when I do, I will help you." He lowered himself down to whisper in her ear, "just don't tell your mother, you know how she worries." Hinamei put her head against her chest and smiled to herself. He had never been much of a father, only recently did he take interest in his family. In her. And it was something she had never really missed until now._

"_Don't go."_

_Their twin irises met and he smiled, giving a small kiss on her pale cheek. "I have to go, my team is depending on me. You'll understand one day Hinamei, until then keep training. I have something for you." He put her down on the floor and walked over to the cabinet. Looking once for her mother he pulled a small pouch from atop the cabinet and kneeled down in front of her. "These were my first kunai knives, passed down through the family from your ancestor Uchiha Hujiko. These are special knives and now their yours." Her hands gripped around the small bag, smiling wider as they tinkled, metal against metal, inside the pouch. "Be careful with them. Now, I've got to leave. Be a good girl for your mother Hinamei. I love you."_

_Before he could stand she jumped over and wrapped her small arms around his neck, "I love you too Tou-san! Hurry home!" She let go and with another smile watched her father stand and walk through their front door. Proudly bearing the Uchiha fan on his back like one day she would…_

"Hinamei?" Her eyes tore to Itachi's face, puzzled as he looked she smiled sheepishly and took another sip of her tea. "Did you hear anything I said to you?

"I'm sorry Itachi-chan, I was thinking of something." He shook his head and small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You'll never make a good kunoichi if you're head is always in the clouds." Sasuke made a noise and Hinamei scoffed, finishing off her tea with a smirk.

"You'll see Itachi, you'll see." The second she put the cup down against the table the door down the hall swung open and a sobbing voice could be hear. Hinamei spun around in her seat startled and Itachi's eyes grew wide and frightened.

"Kaa-san?" He muttered quietly, he clenched onto Sasuke so hard that the baby began to fuss uncomfortably. Suddenly, through the kitchen archway sprang Mikoto, her eyes red and her cheeks flushed. She paid no attention to Hinamei as she rushed forward and fell to her knees in front of her sons. Itachi closed his eyes happily, taking in the sounds of her sobbing.

"Itachi, Sasuke, oh dear you're alright!" Tears sprang from her eyes and she smiled widely at her boys. Before Itachi could react her arms tightened around both of them. Hinamei squirmed in her seat uncomfortably, witnessing such an intimate reunion between mother and son was something she would have rather gone without. Through her eyelashes she looked up and locked eyes with Itachi. He smiled at her and leaned into his mother's shoulder crook. Another pair of footsteps crept in from behind.

"I'm glad to see everything is alright here, I was worried." Fugaku said from behind Hinamei. She tilted her head upwards and met the dull of eyes of Itachi's father. His brown, lanky hair fell into his face and he frowned upon seeing her there. Quickly, she averted her eyes back towards the floor. "Does your mother know you're here?" He asked her, flashing an intimidating glare in her direction.

"N-no, I got lost on my way home when the demon came. Itachi-chan let me in." He grunted and looked back up at Itachi, raising a brow in question.

"You better get her home son." Itachi sprang up from his mother's trembling grip and frowned, his eyes wildly searching his father's face.

"But the demon-" Fugaku silenced his son with his hand, closing his eyes.

"The fox is gone, The fourth managed to evade it from the village, sacrificing himself. Everything…is over now."

"Are you sure?" Hinamei asked innocently, earning another cold glare from her father. She bit her lip and hustled out of the kitchen, Itachi following on her heels. "You're Tou-san, he frightens me." Itachi let out a low laugh and opened the front door, both children stopped and let their mouth's fall open. Every Uchiha in the compound lined the streets. Some where crying, other's cheering, but all of them were celebrating their lives and the sacrifice of the fourth.

"The Kyuubi is gone! It's really gone!" A middle aged man said as he ran by, his fists his the air happily.

"The Kyuubi? That's what attacked the village?" Itachi nodded at her and they walked down the steps together into the mass of people. "How are we going to even get down the street? I can't see a thing." She asked over the loud voices of many people. There were more outside the village, she could hear from where she stood. Suddenly a man ran by, knocking Hinamei to the ground unnoticed. Two more men went by, inches from smashing her fingers. She was going to get trampled. "Itachi!" She cried out, trying to stand up but found herself stuck between a walking group. Itachi was no where to be seen. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around hers and pulled her through the crowd. Whether or not she could see the face of her savior, she knew it was Itachi. His soft, small hands wrapped around hers. Dampened by the rush and warm air of their surroundings. She left the mass of people and was pulled down a dark alley way, A cat ran by startled by their appearance.

"I can't keep saving you like this." Itachi said, shaking his head in disapproval. "You're a mess."

"It's not my fault everyone is waiting outside _your_ house." He frowned and took her hand back in his.

"Come on, I know a couple back roads." They walked, hand in hand down the dark street wordlessly. Her hand itched and desperately she wanted to snatch it back from Itachi, but his grip was so tight she felt it better to let him keep leading her. "Are you alright?" He finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I'm tired. I just want to go home." Itachi studied her pale moonlit face for a minute before nodding and walking faster. She didn't say anything more, that pain in her heart kept her occupied the walk home. Even more, knowing how torn her mother would be made her feel almost sick. She never even said she was leaving today. Itachi suddenly came to a halt and released her sweaty hand, her eyes glazed over at the house in front of her. The living room was lit up, leaving every other room to look like a black hole, dreadfully empty. Her mother was waiting, something Hinamei really wasn't looking forward to. She turned towards the boy and smiled, closing her eyes. "Thank you Itachi-chan, I would have been in trouble if you hadn't helped me earlier." He shrugged, not entirely knowing how to react to her words.

"Well, goodnight Hinamei, see you some other time." He waved her off but before he could turn she wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her head against his chest. His own hands wavered around her body not wanting to make contact, but eventually he rested his hands against her back awkwardly.

"Goodnight Itachi-chan!" She released him and before he could say anything she darted off across the street to her house. Curiously, he waited patiently in the darkened street alone, until he knew she was safely in her house. Once by himself, he pushed his hands inside his pockets and turned around, sparing one last glance at the house, he walked off with a soft smile spread across his face.


	7. Please, Come Back

Chapter Six:

"Please, Come Back."

* * *

The sky was a canvas of grey smears, marked by the heavy rainfall that loomed over the rolling hills miles away from where she stood. Even then, here and there small spots of water would fall around them, marking the ground with small puddles that sank deep into the soil's soft spots. _"Tou-san…" _It was, as they said, the perfect kind of day for a funeral. Her feet sank in the dirt as she climbed the small hill where the burial service would be held, dressed in black from head to toe she kept her head down. All those eyes that looked at her with pity, she couldn't stand it. They just couldn't understand the pain in her heart. Three Uchiha men had died during the attack, since only that small number fell victim, all three were due to be buried upon the old Tozuki's hill. It was at the far end of the village, outside the edge of a small forest that lingered near the gates of Konoha. It was a disgrace, she thought to herself, each man died with a different story. How was it they felt they could get away with having a joint funeral? It wasn't fair at all.

"Hold my hand Hinamei," her mother said softly, prying under the wall her daughter had built up.

"No, I don't want to." She stole up the hill faster, leaving her mother to stand there with her hand still outstretched. Hinamei refused to look back though. She had always loved the rain. The smell of it, the way it molded the world, everything. But today, she hated the rain. As she advanced to her father's casket, she watched beads of fresh water roll over it's side and she trembled. "How could you…" The soft pattering the rain made as it bounced from the impact of the treated wood, it was just enough to make her bite her lip until blood pearled around her teeth. "You, you promised me…" People looked at her in shock once her fist made contact with the black coffin. Among the rest of the clan that had gathered for the burial, one in particular watched Hinamei with an unreadable expression, eyebrows pushed together and a frown firmly etched into his cheeks.

"Maybe you should talk to her." Mikoto laid a hand on her son's shoulder and urged him gently forward, passing her eyes back up to rest on the shuddering girl that had thrown her arms over the coffin. _Poor thing_.

"No." Itachi shook his head, "she doesn't want to talk." Hinamei's mother stepped over to the coffin, it was obvious she had spent all morning crying. She apologized to a man behind her before wrapping her hand around her daughter's wrists and to everyone's surprise Hinamei tore her hand away and burst out into a fit of rage.

"This is your fault! You let him go, you just let him face that-that _thing! _How could you Kaa-san, how could you!" Her mother took a step back, her mouth opened in empty words. As her knees began to shake she slowly descended towards the ground. Tears slipped down her cheeks silently as she knelt on the damp ground, with her eyes thrown towards the sky, she wept. Hinamei glanced around at the faces of everyone there, knowing that each one of them had lived thinking her father was nothing but a laugh. The few that had come and said a prayer at her father's coffin had only come out of pity, she thought. Every one of them lowered their eyes, not wanting to look her in the face. All of them except Itachi. Hinamei locked eyes with him, her glare softening under his lingering gaze. "It wasn't supposed to be like this Itachi-chan, it's not fair." Her fists unfolded and her arms went limp, her anger had finally left her body.

"I know." He replied, turning his face up towards the sprinkling sky. It was as if no one else was there, at this joke for a funeral. Even Hinamei felt embarrassed for her dead father by now. She looked around as more and more people met her eyes. Some of them whispered, some of them weren't shy at all with their voice, she couldn't take it anymore. With her mother to her left still looking at the lingering clouds, Hinamei sucked once more on her lip before sprinting off to the right. Mikoto stuck her hand out as if reaching for the determined girl, but Itachi interrupted. "Don't, she'll be fine Kaa-san." Mikoto's inky black eyes fell to her son, watching as his own eyes never left Hinamei's form. She was lost to the tree's now, far out of sight.

Hinamei stumbled through the trees, tears flowing helplessly from her eyes. "Tou-san, you said you'd come back to me…" She whimpered to herself, between the taste of her tears and the now stale blood, nausea began to swim around her head. But that didn't stop her. Thoughts raced through her head and recklessly, she brushed away at her moist cheeks with the edge of her sleeve as she ran. The forest wasn't big, but it was empty. She was too embarrassed to stay around her clan any longer, too angry. This wasn't the person she normally was, if her father had seen her now…he wouldn't have liked it all. She had never lost anyone close to her, not even a pet. In some part of her mind she expected to go home and see her father drinking a cup of tea before bed. He would say, "Hinamei, tell me about your day." And he would put his cup down and listen with a smile as she rambled on and on about sunflowers and insects. Coming to terms with his death, well, it seemed next to impossible. She continued running through the small forest, trying as hard as she could to stop the flow of tears, not realizing she had veered off the path she was on. One step, two, her foot caught the edge of an uprooted tree and with wide eyes she tumbled downwards, tears still suspended into the air as she fell. _"Tou-san…"_ Her head hit a rock and before she could even scream a veil of black velvet fell over her eyes and she stumbled even farther into the hole of unconsciousness….

"What…is…this?" She sounded far away even to herself. Her fingers gently brushed at her cheeks, feeling something that was sticky and thick clinging close to her face. She pulled her fingers away and tried to clear her vision. "Is that…_red?" _Her eyes closed and a small groan left her bloodless lips. At first she tried to sit up, using her small palms to push her body up until a gasp pushed her back towards the ground. She shut her eyes until beads of saltwater gathered at the corners. Had nobody come after her, not even her own mother? She rolled over and pushed herself up with her arm, ignoring the screaming pain the beat at the side of her head. As slowly as she could she stood up, her eyes drooping as she began stumbling back towards the edge of the trees. What a stupid, _stupid _idea this had been. Then she remembered. The funeral, the rain, her _mother!_ Hinamei broke into a sudden run (or as much of a run as someone with a head injury could do), ignoring the splatter of fresh blood that whipped from her hair to her cheeks. Had she really said such horrible things? No wonder no one had come after her! She pushed herself forward, shaking her head as if to desperately rid the dizzy spells that washed over her. "Kaa-san, I'm sorry!" She cried out, using her hands to move the foliage. Ahead of her she saw the light filtering in through the masses of trees, she was almost out. It was a clear path ahead of her and she closed her eyes, willing her legs to move faster. _I have to make sure she's okay!_ She broke through the trees and ran into something much more solid than air.

"Oomph!" Suddenly, she was falling back towards the floor but this time, arms protected her fall. She opened her pained eyes only to be met with the startled black eyes of Itachi. "You're-you're bleeding Hinamei!" Flecks of blood marred his cheeks as he lifted her back up and off of him, his delicate fingers drifted through her hair until she flinched in pain. At this point, she was seeing two of him.

"I fell and hit my head…I think." She said, pulling away with him with a pink tint on her cheeks. "What are you doing out here?" She asked slowly, not able to grasp what was really going on.. He turned away with a scowl on his face, narrowing his eyes at the grass.

"I came to find you, you've been gone for hours. Like I thought, you've gone and hurt yourself." His words hit her, _hours?_ Had she really been gone so long? The blood left her cheeks and she stood up, scrambling from the ground.

"I've got to find my Kaa-san!" Hinamei set off again through the open field, running through the now pouring rain. She hadn't even noticed how wet it was beyond the protection of the trees. Behind her, Itachi opened his mouth in protest until he realized she wasn't stopping anytime soon. He grabbed the fallen umbrella to his right and stood up, a glare on his face. He was much faster than her, especially in her worn state, so it didn't take long for him to catch up the dizzy, bleeding child.

"Why don't you ever listen to me!" He snarled, extending his hand to stop her. She glanced over at him and opened her mouth in surprise. "She's not mad at you anymore, she's worried!" Itachi yelled through the pour of the rain. He let the umbrella fall down to his side, running into it, the umbrella didn't stop much of the drenching. Hinamei slowed down until she came to full stop, looking at Itachi with wide fearful eyes.

"Worried about me? After all I said to her?" He answered her with a glare.

"You're making this more difficult than it has to be. Walk with me, you're just going to exhaust yourself running like that." Hinamei eyed him curiously before turning her eyes down, "don't' worry, she's gotten the whole police force looking for you. None of them thought you would still be in the forest. Just wait till Tou-san see's that I found you before any of them." He said more to himself at the end. He grinned to himself until he realized Hinamei was swaying now and looking rather pale. "Hm?" He turned towards her and then widened his eyes.

"Ita…" She fell towards the ground just as her eyes rolled back to her head. Itachi caught her before she hit the ground, slowly resting her on her back in the wet grass.

"Of course." Itachi muttered to himself, wondering how he was going to carry someone who was almost as tall as him. With a sigh he closed the umbrella, not having enough hands to carry both Hinamei and the umbrella, he would just have to make some sacrifices. The compound was far from where he was now, luckily, the hospital was only a five minutes walk from there. He unbuttoned his jacket and threw it over Hinamei, making sure to cover her placid face. The rain lightened up, but not enough to make a real difference, his hair was matted close to his struggling face. "I should have gone after you." He said to himself, jamming the umbrella under his arm. "I should of come sooner." He wrapped his hands under her small frame and stood up, pushing all the air out of his body as he came up. She was _heavy_. It didn't help that they were essentially the same height. He might have weighed a little more but he was thin framed to begin with, "dammit Hinamei!" He struggled taking his first step. Going down the hill he was already short of breath and he dreaded the idea of having to carry her the whole way alone. Even worse, she was already injured so dropping her was plainly not an option. He puffed out his cheeks and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing exhaustion in his upper arms.

"Itachi-chan?" He opened one eye and in the distance spotted his father's friend on the police force, walking towards him in the rain.

"Hu-rry!" Itachi huffed out, the dark haired man advanced closer, halted, then broke into a quick sprint.

"Is that-" Itachi nodded and the Uchiha bent down and took the girl from his arms. Itachi had never felt such relief as when he did the second he dropped his arms. The rain didn't help at all. "Good job Itachi-chan! Wait till your father hears about this!"

"You need to get her to the hospital, now!" Normally, he wouldn't be allowed to order around a superior like that but at the moment, nobody cared. The man nodded and took off into a sprint, leaving Itachi in the pouring rain. He didn't feel like running so he just walked until he reached the cover of a closed weapons shop. At least now he knew she would be in proper care, he would visit her later on to make sure she was feeling better. For now, however, she would probably spend most of her time sleeping. With a sigh, Itachi bristled his bangs back, preparing himself to walk back through the rain towards the compound. He slipped the umbrella out from under his clenched arm and pushed it open, flinching as the rain beat upon the thin plastic. As he walked he let his mind wander, all of this thoughts going right back towards that strange girl he was somewhat friends with. He knew that one day they would marry, maybe start a family and grow old. But right now, he couldn't picture it at all. He didn't want to. She was just Hinamei, nothing else. There were still times he wished she would sometimes go away, stop talking, or even just talk about something else. But it was obvious, he cared about her, maybe too much…not that he liked her in that way though, of course not!

He brought his head up higher and forced back a stubborn smile, reassuring himself, _of course not._


	8. The Art of Failure

**A/N:** I could honestly say I'd be surprised if I had any readers left. I'm seriously starting to lack on my updates. In other news, I've started on a new story. I know, I know I really should focus on Nevermore and Say It With Your Eyes first...but don't worry. I won't be publishing anything new until these are all done and finished. My next story (after the planned sequel to this story) is going to be a Kuroshitsuji story :D I'm soooo hella excited!

* * *

Chapter Seven:

"The Art of Failure."

* * *

"_That damn child has run off again!"_

It was starting to become a well known fact amongst every teacher that taught at the academy that Uchiha Hinamei should not be let out of their sights. _Ever. _Hinamei's teacher, Chiyoko Sensei, had discovered this the very first day of flower arranging when Hinamei had strayed off the path within the first five minutes of the lecture. It was now the third month and she was at her wits end. "Chiyoko Sensei? She wandered off in that direction." A small girl with brown hair said helpfully. She pointed a small finger towards the large sunflower field and smiled. Chiyoko nodded and with a stern face set off into that direction, her face getting redder and redder with each step she took. _That girl shouldn't be allowed here, she has absolutely no desire to be a true shinobi! What an embarrassment! _She broke out of her thoughts when she saw five sunflowers fly into the air, a ring made out of their stems. A small sneer found her thin lips and she quickened her pace.

That stupid, stupid little girl.

Hinamei sat on the ground spinning leafy green ends together. "One for Kaa-san, oh, I can't forget about Itachi-chan either. I wonder if Shisui-san would like one?" She put a small finger to her lip before shaking out her shoulder length hair. "He would just laugh, he doesn't deserve one." On her head she wore a small crown of baby sunflowers, and her hands worked fast to make the next one. It was something her late aunt had taught her to do when she was younger, passing the time after lunch before she was due to take her nap. Luckily, half of her classes at the academy were outside and it gave her the perfect excuse to have some alone time.

"Uchiha Hinamei, stand up right this instant." A stern voice caught her and her large dark eyes went wide. She lifted the crown off of her head and swiftly held it behind her back. When she stood she made sure to humbly smile at her pink tinted teacher. "Don't you smile at me, do you realize the trouble you've made?" Hinamei lowered her eyes and instead focused on a small caterpillar that inched it's way across a thick leaf.

"No, I don't. But Chiyoko-Sensei-" Her teacher held up her hand to silence her and shyly, Hinamei nibbled on her bottom lip.

"I had to pause the whole lesson because you decided it would be fun to teach yourself, right? Well, I'm telling your mother about this and don't think you will go unpunished. One more time Hinamei, one more time and I will make sure you can't come back here. Do you understand?" With a slow nod Hinamei released her trapped lip.

"Yes Chiyoko-Sensei."

"What are you hiding behind your back?" Suddenly her eyes went wide and she clenched onto her flower crown. She shook her head and again, tried to bypass her teachers rage with a sly smile.

"Nothing, I promise I'll be good from now on though!" But her teacher was a lot more swift than she was. She ducked down and snatched the flower wreath from behind Hinamei before she even had time to blink, pinching it between two thin fingers. With a small laugh she raised her other hand and tore it apart. Hinamei blinked before tears started to well up. "What was that for?" She yelled, closing her hands into tiny fists. "That was for Itachi-chan!"

"Itachi hm?" Her teachers dull blue eyes glittered and she laugh, tossing the flowers over her shoulder. "A student like that has no time for such childish past times. You should really learn a lesson from him, it's only because we have children like him that the Uchiha name is so honored. You wouldn't want to disappoint your father now Hinamei, would you? At least he _tried _to make something of his name." The small girl opened her mouth to retort but quickly shut it, she looked to her left and pushed the tears back.

"Yes Chiyoko-Sensei." Her teacher made sure she walked behind Hinamei the entire way back to their class, and as they advanced, numerous eyes sparkled with grim delight. Hinamei sat down at the back of the class and still, she heard them whisper.

"_Look at her, can you believe she's the one they chose to marry Itachi-kun one day?"_

Hinamei ran her fingers across the long blades of grass and frowned, these girls. They were all the same. It wasn't easy to ignore though, she could admit. Itachi didn't start showing off his true skills until he entered the academy. And oh, did everyone lose their minds. He was a prodigy, a gift. He was everything the leaf village needed behind their backs. He was an ace in the hole and they wouldn't be afraid to use him. Lately, all the talk seemed to go straight to his head. He wasn't the same. There was a brief moment in time where Hinamei and Itachi almost seemed to like each other. _Almost._ The year before they entered the academy they were nearly inseparable. But ask Itachi and all he would say is she wouldn't leave him alone. Or he felt bad. But she forgave him, each and every time. He was special to her because even if he was too embarrassed to say it in front of other people, he liked her and she knew.

"_I know, I heard he's even embarrassed to even stand next to her. Poor Itachi-kun, he deserves better."_

All their talk, it meant nothing to her. With a sigh she sat back on her arms and stared up at the sky, the sun was high in the sky and burning onto her exposed shoulders, her hair was warm and she rubbed her cheek into it sweetly. She would show all these people, she could be something. Maybe she couldn't be as good as Itachi could be but that didn't make her useless. She lie back in the grass and shut her eyes, only twenty more minutes till this class ended and another one started. After all, it wasn't _that_ bad.

The end of the day came fast, she gathered up all her weapons (that she hadn't even used) and ran out the door just as her teacher was talking. It didn't matter, the day was over. It was like this every day, if she didn't race out of her class and catch up with Itachi he would just leave her. And there was nothing she hated more than walking back from the academy in the hot afternoon. She pushed past various children, apologizing as she ran the way of Itachi's class, _almost there. _She pushed through a cluster of three children, breaking up their conversation before running straight into a child her age.

"You really have got to stop doing this." He said, she grinned and looked up into his nearly amused eyes.

"Hello Itachi-chan, ready to walk home?" He looked up over her shoulder and released his grip on her arms, with a nonchalant shrug he turned away from her and started to walk away. It was strange, like two different people had taken over his body just now and the rude one had won. "Itachi-chan?" But he continued walking. Hinamei glanced back and frowned, that couldn't have been why he walked away from her was it? A group of girls pointed and giggled, whispering into each other's ears slyly. Hinamei found a scowl and quickly turned on her heel towards Itachi, he barely noticed as she fell into step of him. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Hinamei could no longer restrain herself. "Itachi-chan?"

"Hm?" He kept his eyes firmly set on the road in front of him.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" Her voice rose higher and she bit back her lip. That's right, Itachi hated this side of her. This weak, caring, little girl that somehow always managed to slip out. Itachi sighed and responded with a frank 'no' before moving his feet faster. But she couldn't let him get by so easily. "No? Than why don't you ever want to stand next to me, or walk with me? You don't even talk to me when we pass each other in the halls."

"Hinamei, shut up." He shot her a fevered glare before grabbing her wrist and leading her forward. "Better?" This time when he looked down at her he managed a small smile. He was trying, for the most part. She nodded and let her eyes fall towards the ground. At least from far away it would look like they were holding hands, almost. They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence until the reached they edge of the compound. "I'm going to go train with Shisui, you're welcome to tag along if you'd like." Even if he was trying, he didn't put much effort into it.

"Uh, well no. I think I'll just go home." He released her wrists and quirked an eyebrow. There hadn't been a day go by that she didn't squeal with delight every time he invited her along somewhere. Something was wrong, he watched as she walked away, holding her weapon bag close to her chest like she was scared to let go. With a roll of his eyes he clenched his tiny fists shut. If she didn't want to go then she didn't have to, it was her fault anyway. He stormed off and began a run towards the training fields where Shisui should be waiting to help.

Hinamei sighed and dropped her bag to her leg, what was so embarrassing about her anyway? The walk home was long, it didn't help that she was walking a lot slower than usual. It had been one year since she had met Itachi, and in that time a lot had changed. But she never thought that school of all things would have torn them apart. She advanced on into her house and past her mom, not that she would have noticed anyway. Her mother had changed, ever since Tou-san died…well she became very sad. But Hinamei knew, all she needed was time and in the end she would revert back to her normal, scolding self. Once in her room Hinamei dropped her bag and fell face first into her bed, moaning into the pillow. _Stupid Itachi, _she thought angrily, _I hate you._

She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe they were right, maybe she just wasn't cut out to be a shinobi, or run head to head with Itachi. Even she could admit that he was miles ahead of her now, there was no point in trying to catch up. The worst part though, still, Itachi couldn't even walk with her without looking over his shoulder. So much had changed, she blamed the whole village, his father. All that pressure they put on him, no wonder he was so angry. One day she swore, she would show him what the light looked like. And maybe then he would decide to stay next to her, head held high and all.

* * *

He next day she didn't bother trying to catch up with Itachi like she normally did. She walked alone, slower and slower still. Her fingers slipped over the edge of her book and she frowned as the sun was making her skin prickle. "Uchiha Hinamei, can you walk any slower?" She slowly brought her head up and a crooked grin found her face with ease. Itachi stood leaning at the main gate, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and a scowl perfectly placed on his lips.

"You're not waiting for me are you?" He scoffed and started walking away from her, slyly throwing his eyes behind him to make sure she was following.

"Why would I do that? I just knew that if I didn't, I would hear about it for weeks. So hurry up, we don't have all day." Happily, the giggling girl ran up to him, wrapping her small hand firmly around his. He stiffened but slowly smirked and glanced down at her. "Why do you do that? Don't you know what that means?" Her eyes lowered themselves down to her palm and she gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"It means I like you and that you like me. It means you're my best friend." He frowned and shook his head, "What does it mean to you?" She asked quietly, looking back and forth between his eyes to read him as best she could. School was coming closer and closer and as the kids voices could be heard, she felt him wiggling out of her grasp. He wasn't going to answer. Looking forward, she noticed a group of small girls raise there eyes to him, smiling and laughing like only they would. It happened so fast, her hand was soon gripping nothing but empty air and he walked forward ahead of her. "Itachi-chan?" He slightly turned but no sooner did he redirect himself and shake his head.

"Hinamei, stop acting like such a _child."_ Itachi lowered his eyes as he spoke, unable to look her in the face.

"_I told you, he can't stand her. Who does she think she is?"_

All they ever did, those mean little girls, all they ever did was talk. Such arrogance, she couldn't stand it. She would show them, Itachi wasn't as great as he seemed. She stormed up behind the boy and pushed him, he turned towards her with a glare set into his young features, but she was faster then he was at that moment. With her hand balled she brought it flying up towards the young Uchiha's face. His eyes widened and he closed them tightly when he saw her hand advancing, wincing as it made contact with his pale skin. He stumbled back a couple steps before gently touching his cheek with his fingers. "What the hell was that for?" He hissed, straightening himself back up. Hinamei held her chin higher and smiled, her eyes a mask of pain that refused to come out.

"You're not better than me Itachi, not at all." A loud voice brought her eyes to the left, five people were advancing and one of them happened to be a very angry looking woman. "Not Chiyoko-Sensei!" She hissed to herself, this was it. This was the chance her teacher had been betting on for months now. Kids around them stopped giggling and pointing, all of them being ushered in back to class.

"Uchiha Hinamei, what is the meaning of this?" She looked around, all those eyes.

Chiyoko's, Itachi's, the other teachers and all those mean little kids. All of them stood by and judged. Doing what they always had done. So was the art of failing, dissapointment, and cowardice. It was then Hinamei did what she always did best.

She ran.


	9. The Flower King

Chapter Eight:

"The Flower King."

* * *

Orange and yellow waves crashed around her and she sunk deeper and deeper into the tide of sunflower blooms. Swallowed by the tall and prickled flora. It wasn't until she came to a small clearing did she break down to the ground and let out a loud wail, falling backwards till she smeared dirt into her pale green shirt whilst she rolled around in pain. It took a lot from her to refrain from crying out in front of Itachi, though she wouldn't have made much of an impression if she hit him and immediately started crying. After all, she didn't need to give any of those kids a reason to make fun of her. She clasped her hand to her chest and fastened her bottom lip between her teeth, she hadn't felt this much pain since Itachi had sliced her hand open. She almost forgot what it felt like to be in genuine pain. After a couple minutes of ceaseless sobbing, she opened her eyes and squinted at the morning sun. She hadn't thought about what would happen after this. She couldn't go home, her mother would be absolutely livid that she missed school. And she certainly couldn't go back to school, not after that horror. With a sigh she cupped her hand under her chin and closed her eyes, letting the remaining tears roll from her lashes to her rosy cheek. Maybe it was all the crying she had done, feeling sorry for herself and all, she preferred to blame it on the warmth of the beaming sun. Whatever the case, she fell into a void of dreamless sleep quicker than she could count to ten...

"Uchiha Hinamei is a _stupid_ girl." The light voice carried over her and drifted down until she roused from sleep. She made the mistake of opening her eyes and quickly recoiled, blinking away the shock of the darkening sun. Standing above her was a halo of dark hair, scattered around like some disheveled child. She would know that cynical flit of speech anywhere.

"Shisui-san, go away." She murmured, turning over and burying her face into the crook of her elbow. A sweet smile found her lips until another laugh found its way under her barrier.

"Or what? Are you going to punch me too?" She opened a single eye and glared, promising something if he didn't shut up. But as always it was mindlessly ignored. Shisui sat down above her head and crossed his hands, throwing his dark eyes up at the blue late afternoon sky. "You know Hinamei, you shouldn't be so hard on the kid. He tries really hard, constantly."

"You're wrong. Itachi-chan is acting different. He doesn't even want to be seen around me. How can you agree with him?" The girl pushed herself up on small hands and quirked an eyebrow at her visitor. Could he really be so naïve?

"Maybe if you understood him a bit more you would understand he's only trying to protect you." Before she could say anything in response he continued. "Don't you think those kids would try even harder to ridicule you if they saw you two as a team? In his eyes, he's taking away a reason for them to hate you, he's making you a nobody so you don't have to be treated like somebody worth their time." He laughed at his own words and shook his head around. "He wouldn't ever admit it but he really likes you Hinamei-kun!" She slowly moved her eyes up Shisui's body. He was so carefree and wild, not someone she would generally expect Itachi to be interested in…but she could see why.

"You must be lying." He abruptly stopped his laughing and narrowed his inky black eyes at her low confidence. It was a second later he flickered next to her in the grass. It didn't matter how long she was around him, she knew she would never get used to his inhuman like speed. His hands tangled themselves along the long grass and he smirked. Not to be mistaken for sarcasm, he winked at the smaller girl by his side.

"Tell me, have you seen him talk to anyone else at your academy? Has he ever walked home with anyone else but you? It's not like he doesn't have other options, he just chooses you over the others. But don't expect him to be falling in love with you, or whatever you strange little girls daydream of. I hope you know, Uchiha men _never _fall in love." He stretched out on the grass until the edge of his stomach came into view, to the side of him Hinamei stared relentlessly at the outstretched blue sky.

"That's a stupid thing to say, everyone falls in love at some point or another." The wind brushed against her sun-kissed skin and she smiled as her hair rippled into view. "Even someone like Itachi."

"Take it as you will, one day you'll grow up and see life isn't how you seem to think it is." He slowly sat up and looked at her with a sideways glance. "I don't know what you see in that head of yours Hinamei, but one day it's going to be the end of you. Pull your head from the clouds." He ruffled a hand in her hair and sighed, almost seeming to relish in the beauty of the fair day. "You shouldn't have hit him."

"I know, I feel bad enough Shisui-san, don't think I don't." He smirked and stared out over the endless yellow blooms that marked the filed ahead of them, his mind somewhere else by now. The two sat in silence for a while, neither one wanting to break the soft serenity that had fallen over them. Finally, Hinamei snapped from her train of thought and tore her eyes towards Shisui. He was still smiling. "How did you find me anyway?"

"Itachi told me where you would be, he was worried about what had come over you and asked me to make sure you were safe and feeling better." The small girl lifted her head and smiled, a coy expression tugging on the corners of her lips.

"Liar, Itachi didn't ask that of you."

"No, he didn't. But he did ask me to find you and make sure you didn't run away or anything too brash. But even that, it's more than he would do for anyone else. Don't forget it." He let out a wide yawn and stretched his arms high above his head, returning with a crooked smile on his face. "Will you be alright if I go then?"

"I'll be fine, thank you Shisui." He waved her off as he stood up, stretching his shoulders and rolling his head around until he heard a pop. He gave her a small salute before darting off through the flowers and leaving her to her own thoughts. Her hands reflexively toyed with the hem of her shirt, threading each fold gently between small fingers. She knew she shouldn't have hit him, it was stupid and reckless. At least if he was asking about her she knew he couldn't be too mad. Could he? She shook her hair out. It didn't matter anyway, she had bigger things to worry about now. Like what her mother would say when she heard what Hinamei had done, the girl shivered at the thought. "Sorry Tou-san," Hinamei said out loud before dropping back to the floor on her back. "I guess I'm just not cut out to be a ninja." She sighed and flipped over on her side, reaching out and plucking the small baby flowers from the ground. The least she could do was bring Itachi a peace offering.

The sun was lowering every minute, before Shisui had came she nearly slept throughout the entire day. There was at least one thing to thank his prying nose for. By the time she finished making a flower crown the sun was closing in on the horizon, the sky a mixture of soft blues and bright flaming oranges. She stood and with her wreath in hand she tore off through the flower field, mind set on finding Itachi and talking this whole mistake out. The road back from the field, which was near the academy, was long and winding. It stood over a tall cliff like structure that led down to the waters edge. Nearly five minutes into her departure, she found she couldn't run much longer. People brushed past her, the night was alive with the sound of people and busy shops. It was a festival night, where families went out, played games, and stuffed themselves until they couldn't eat any more. As she walked along the edge of the street, she even made eye contact with kids from school. Most of them ignored her but some dared to whisper. She quickly averted her eyes the other way. The water's edge sparkled with the light of the setting sun and soon her eyes found a lonely figure perched on the edge of the dock, his feet dangling far above the water's reach. It could have been any kid but the emblem on his back told otherwise. Suddenly, she found the energy to run again, dipping down a side trail that led down to the water's edge and straight towards the dock. Itachi's cold eyes met hers before she even reached the dock. "What do you want?" He asked, redirecting his eyes to the distant horizon.

"I-I wanted to apologize for this morning. I'm sorry 'Tachi, I shouldn't have acted like that." To her surprise, Itachi snorted and smirked at her apology. She didn't know whether to be offended or relieved.

"It's not like it hurt or anything, you really just made a spectacle of yourself. Feel sorry for that." She took a few more steps forward until she pulled herself onto the dock, making a comfortable spot next to the far away child. Slowly, she scooted closer towards him. He cast a sideways glance at her before huffing and turning away. "Don't get too comfortable, I wasn't planning on staying long." But Hinamei wasn't listening, when Itachi turned towards her to see why she hadn't answered he found her staring at her hands. Her face was a blank mask of something he couldn't place. "Hinamei?" She shook it out and the glimmer in her eyes came back.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention!" She grinned sheepishly and glanced back at her hand, a surprised look found her face. "I almost forgot! Itachi, I made you something." She cooed, raising her hand and shaking the flower crown around. Itachi eyed the piece with disdain before pushing her hand out of his face.

"Well I don't want it." He said matter of factly, her face dropped instantly and he almost looked like she was going to cry.

"You don't understand Itachi-chan, I made this for you so you wouldn't be mad at me anymore. You can't just say you don't want it, you have to take it!" She pushed it forward again and he deepened his frown.

"I said no," he turned away from her this time, pushing his legs the opposite way so his back was nearly facing her. "Now get out of here." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he was actually enjoying the silence before she irritatingly intruded. A small movement on his head caused his eyes to snap open, he glanced at the snickering girl to his side. He gently felt a top his head and once his fingers wrapped around the delicate petals of her crown, he tore it off and threw it into the water. It floated ahead of them like a boat. Her eyes softened and she let a smile grace her lips, it never was about the wreath anyways.

"Can I stay with you, please?" She asked softly, watching the wreath float onwards past them. Itachi watched her with wide eyes, it was possible he might never understand her. Finally, he looked away, feeling uncomfortable as he realized he had been staring.

"I don't care what you do." He said darkly, facing back towards the water he refused to look at her. She was an odd one, any person in their right mind could realize that. But that wasn't all, he couldn't place what else was lurking underneath. She was deeper than she gave way to, sadder it seemed. He was brought out of his thoughts as she giggled softy, he opened his mouth to tell her to shut up until she immediately brought him to silence.

Hinamei bent over and delivered a quick kiss on his cheek, her laughter like bells as she watched his cheeks turn the shade of a strawberry. And maybe, she really wasn't as deep as he thought she was.


	10. The Infamous Quitter

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone has been sticking with this story and reviewing and all that other good jazz. It really helps :)

Alright, and just to let everyone know, on my profile I've fixed it up and have made a list of stories that will be put up after this story (and the sequel). Just to stay ahead. I'll make a poll sometime in the future to see what people want first but until then we are stuck with Itachi and Hinamei...just until it's over of course :D I've had a terrible week to say the least and so I'm going to take it out on Hinamei D: Ah, respectively, the next couple of chapters or so are going to be a bit darker and not so happy, happy, fluffy. But that's not to say there won't be some fluff in there ;) Stay tuned!

* * *

Chapter Nine:

"The Infamous Quitter."

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Itachi asked, his curiosity flittering around him like a nervous cloud. The shy girl smiled, her eyes never leaving the flower wreath that floated atop the water like a small boat. It wasn't just her that noticed Itachi's voice had gotten softer, kinder. He noticed too.

"Why not?" Normally, the boy would have frowned and looked away. Embarrassed and confused by her odd answers that made no sense but this time he merely stared. Never letting his eyes stray from her face, her wispy brown hair that fluttered around her head like a halo. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"I suppose. But friends don't kiss." He said smartly, closing his eyes at her naïveté.

"Sure they do." She replied, turning her face back towards his with a glowing smile. Strange how the light reflected off the water almost seemed to make her glow, her eyes glitter. He had to force himself to look away as he felt that heat creep up back into his cheeks. "Can we stay like this forever 'Tachi?" She asked suddenly, leaning back on the palm of her hands. He stayed silent, not even wanting to spare an answer. Of course they couldn't. They would grow, change as people, make new friends and maybe even fall in love with someone who wasn't Hinamei. It was inevitable change would come. But even he could admit, in that minute, it would have been nice to say yes. Her charcoal eyes probed his face and her smile melted away until she was staring at him with nothing but a slight frown.

"You're mother was looking for you today, earlier." Itachi broke in, pulling his eyes away. He made to stand up but Hinamei's small hands brought him to a halt. Her fingers were wrapped around his shirt, shamelessly. Her eyes were lowered and for a second he sat startled, she was crying.

"I'm scared." She said quietly, feeling partially embarrassed for revealing this soft side to Itachi. Not that he hadn't seen it before. "Itachi-chan, I don't want to go home." He sighed, he always had to get stuck with the crying, sniveling Hinamei. Unlike Shisui, she always tried to stay brave in front of him. "Can't I stay with you a little longer?" A small smile tugged at his lips and he looked down at the girl who was pressed against his arm.

"You're lucky. When she came by looking for you I went ahead and told her you left your bag at school and were coming to the festival tonight with us. You'll be fine." Hinamei let out a small laugh into his shirt before sitting up and wiping away a stray tear from her cheek.

"Really?" He nodded and looked away awkwardly, his shirt was wet from her tears. "Where is your family then?" He looked behind his shoulder at the bright festival lights, people laughed from above and it carried down to the lower dock where they sat.

"I just needed some time by myself." He finally said, turning back towards the water. But that was enough for Hinamei, her hand closed around Itachi's and she jumped up, pulling hard on his hand so he was forced up as well. At first his eyes narrowed but when he saw the smile on her face he couldn't help but sigh in defeat. She always won.

"Come play, I wanna see Sasuke-kun!" She yelled as she pulled him behind her, he stumbled through the rocky grass until she came to a halt, the light of the streets in her delighted face. Her hand tightened around his and he looked over. She looked so happy, he couldn't help but force back a smile. "What do you want to do first?" She asked suddenly, turning towards him with a wide cut grin. He shrugged his shoulders and looked around.

"It doesn't matter, do what you like." He answered. Before he could get another word out she was hauling him right along through the mass of families gathered around for the night. They spent over an hour on the games before Itachi found himself out of the money his Tou-san had given him before they split. But he didn't mind. He could admit he was having a better time now than he was sitting by himself. Hinamei tucked under her arm a small cat that Itachi had gotten her, she held it close and refused to let it go. Itachi stumbled into his mother not too long after.

"Hinamei, imagine seeing you here!" Mikoto said happily, waving her hand around as they advanced. Hinamei grinned and ran over, unlatching her hand from Itachi's. She stopped in front of Mikoto and gently wiggled her fingers in front of Sasuke's face from the stroller he was in. He giggled and waved a small hand up in the air forcing a small laugh out of Hinamei.

"Where is Tou-san?" Itachi asked as he walked forward, Mikoto broke her eyes away from her youngest and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry Itachi, he was needed for an important council meeting not too long after you left." Hinamei felt a small relief uncoil in her chest. Fugaku didn't hide the fact that he thought Hinamei was nothing but a joke. Much too weak to make a fitting wife for his son, but that didn't matter. Hinamei didn't like him much either. Itachi shrugged again and looked at his mother expectantly, she smiled down at him and started walking again. "Let's get something to eat and then head back home. You still have school tomorrow Itachi, and you Hinamei." The girl looked down and made a small sound that both Uchiha's noticed. When Hinamei glanced back up and saw both staring she grinned sheepishly and mussed her hair.

"Yeah, I suppose I do." She laugh and Itachi shot her a strange look, Mikoto only laughed lightly. As Mikoto led the way towards a good food booth, Itachi fell back in line with Hinamei. "What?" She asked innocently when Itachi shot her a curious look.

"Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden. You're going to school tomorrow right?" The small girl sighed and slumped her shoulders, puling in the small cat closer to her chest.

"I don't want to Ita-chan," Itachi made a face at her newest nickname but quickly shrugged it off. He had learned by now not to even mention it. "I'm not very good at it and, I really don't think anyone likes me." She finished sadly, lowering her eyes fully to the ground.

"You're not there to make friends, you're there to learn." He said smugly. Hinamei glanced up, wondering why Itachi thought the way he did. He opened one eye and looked at her, she was still frowning. "Don't you want to be a kunoichi like you said you'd be?" He asked, she stopped walking and looked ahead.

"I thought I wanted to be but maybe I don't. Can't I be one without going to school. I mean, you and Shisui could train me!" Itachi rolled his eyes at her response and shook his head.

"No, we couldn't. After graduation, I'll be busy furthering my training. As will Shisui. We're not going to be there forever you know." The girl smiled widely and shook her locks around, pulling her face up towards the now dark blue sky.

"Sure you will, you both will Ita-chan. We're going to get married remember? You kind of have to be there, _stupid." _Itachi felt at this point it was best to let her have the last word. She wouldn't ever shut up if he didn't. He merely shook his head and let a small smirk fall on his lips. Thinking to himself who the stupid one really was. They walked on in silence until Mikoto came to a stop and handed them both paper bowls that held hot food. They ate at a small table until both finished and Hinamei finally realized just how tired she was.

"Itachi, will you walk Hinamei home? Sasuke is starting to fuss again." Mikoto led her dark eyes over to the young girl and gave her a warm smile. "It was nice to see you Hinamei, I'm sure Itachi appreciated it as well. Stop by soon, alright?" The small girl nodded quickly and topped it off with a grin. They said their farewells and soon it was just Itachi and Hinamei walking together side by side again.

"Can I ask you something?" She broke through the silence, Itachi glanced over and nodded once. "Are you happy?" The question caught him off guard and for a second he just stared ahead of him as he walked. Was he truly happy? Whose to say what his kind of happiness even was, he sure didn't know. Hinamei figured he was just falling into another one of his moods again and wouldn't answer so quietly, she wrapped her arm around his arm and cradled herself close. Itachi walked on, never minding the girl wrapped on his arm. He glanced down and noticed a small smile playing on her lips. Not because she found something funny only because she truly believed that she herself was happy. Finally he answered.

"I think I am." And in the dark he smiled too.

* * *

"I'm not going Kaa-san!" Hinamei yelled through her door. She frantically pushed against the door with her shoulder as her mother pressed her forehead against the other side.

"Why not Hinamei? You wanted to go yesterday." She said, trying to reason with the six year old girl. Instead, she got a wailing no from the other side.

"Well I don't want to go to today! Don't you get it!" It was a difficult task, and her mother was so close to just giving up. She didn't see reason to fight. Ever since her husband had passed things had fallen short. Simple things became extraneous, quiet things became too loud, little things became far too much. And when it came to Hinamei…well, it just didn't seem worth it. And at times like these it seemed like Hinamei just took advantage of the situation. The small girl slumped to the floor with her back to the door, breathing heavy like she had just ran a mile. "I don't want to be a kunoichi anymore. I just want to be me. Hinamei. Just me, Kaa-san." She said quietly. Whether or not her mother heard, it didn't matter. None of it did.

"Fine, you know, you can just stay in there all day until you can grow up a little bit and tough it out. I'm not going to fight you." She heard the steps of her mother's bare feet strike the wooden floor. It was very unlike her mother but it was becoming constant. Everything would have been fine if Tou-san would just come back home.

The day dragged on, Hinamei managed to slip out a few times to grab some food and use the bathroom but aside from that she stayed tucked into her bed. "Tou-san would understand." She muttered to herself as she watched from her window the sun fall lower. She was sprawled out on her bed, bored and strangely tired. Her mother hadn't spoken to her all day. Not that she really minded, conversations with her mother always seemed to lead to nothing but trouble. Just as her thought ended her bedroom door opened slowly. She cut her eyes towards the door to see her mother standing with a plate of food in front of her. The girl grunted and turned away, looking at the wall instead.

"I bet you're hungry." Her mother said. Unknown to her Hinamei had just eaten over a third of a loaf of bread by herself, "I brought you some dinner." Hinamei turned on her bed and watched her mother approach, slowly with her eyes downcast. "I've decided something Hinamei, I've had a lot of time to consider." They met eyes and a slow smile found it's way to her mother's pale lips. "And I'm glad." She set the food down in front of the confused girl and leaned forward to wrap her arms around the child. "I don't want you to be like your father, I wouldn't be able to live if I ever lost you too. Be a florist or something like that, alright?" The girl stared absently over her mother's shoulder before resting her head against her arm. She missed the closeness of a parent. For months now she had lived with envy, watching Mikoto fawn over Itachi and Sasuke like they were her world. Her own mother hadn't acted like that for some time now, but she felt it then.

"Will you be a florist with me?" She asked suddenly, pulling away and looking up hopefully into her mother's face. With her hand she ruffled her child's hair and bent down to deliver a quick kiss on her nose.

"You know it, now eat." She said, sitting up straighter. Hinamei glanced down at her plate and frowned. She hated vegetables, _especially_ the green ones. She crinkled her nose but her mother refused to watch. "You're still in trouble though so after dinner it's bath time and then straight to bed. We can work on our flowers tomorrow." With one last wink she left Hinamei to her plate of vegetables and shut the door. It was a funny thing having a window conveniently placed next to a bed. She pushed open the window with a loud grunt, pausing to see if her mother would come before dumping the plate of food out the window. It fell to the ground with a loud and unappealing splat. She brought the plate back in and grinned at her own cunning, she was truly a genius.

She hurried along through bath time (one of the worst times of the day in her honest opinion) and jumped into a pair of shorts and a long sleeved top. A little down dressed for the cool evening but she didn't mind. She said her good nights and slipped into bed. It was curious, she didn't mind going to sleep so early. The night wasn't entirely black yet but in less than thirty minutes it would be. Sleep tugged at her eyelids and with a wide yawn she drifted off into sweet dreams.

It had to be three hours later that a sudden sound startled her out of sleep. She sat up suddenly and rubbed at her eyes, looking around the dark room. A murmur, a laugh, she turned her head towards her window and had to clap her hands to her mouth to stifle the scream. Two figures stood outside her low window, one pointed and laughed at her as she blinked away the frightened tears. The other stood with his arms crossed looking rather bored. Hurriedly, she unlatched the window and let it swing open. "You're too funny Hinamei, really." Shisui said with a grin. Itachi stood behind him, looking around at the yard with no interest at all.

"What are you two doing? Why aren't you sleeping?" Shisui puffed out his chest and pointed to himself smugly.

"Real shinobi don't need sleep, unlike civilians such as yourself." He wanted to continue but Itachi's dark voice quickly cut him off.

"Shisui was bored and felt it would be a good idea to go creeping around the graveyard tonight, he wouldn't shut up until I agreed to go with him. Now he wants you to go." Her breath caught up in her throat and she slumped back against her bed with a rather disturbed face. Shisui leaned in onto the window sill and quirked an eyebrow.

"You're brave right? At least that's what you've been telling us for that past year. Don't tell me you're scared." She opened her mouth to come to her defense until Shisui cut in again. "If you don't want to go you really don't have to. But I hope you know that means you can't hang out with us anymore. We don't like chickens Right Itachi?" He said, emphasizing the last word. Itachi's only reply was a firm, 'hn.' Her eyes narrowed and she slid out of bed, crouching on the ground looking for her shoes. Once she found them and put them on she threw a jacket over her shirt and made her way to climb out the window.

"Shut up. I'm not scared, I'm just tired. You woke me up." She stepped onto her cut grass and stuffed her hands further into her pockets, mimicking Itachi. He looked at her and merely shook his head. Mumbling something that sounded like 'let's get this over with.' The three kids stood close and as Shisui went over the plan with them she couldn't help but notice that mischievous grin fighting it's way back to the surface.

This couldn't be good.


	11. Phantoms of Tozuki's Hill

**A/N:** Hm, as tomorrow is my day off and my boyfriend will be at work most of the day, I should have time to do another update. But that's still a definite maybe. You know me, I'm slow as fuck and hardly ever get anything done on time :'(

Whatever, in other news I've become one of those people that I used to love to make fun of. I'll admit it, I like glee. And now I really wanna see Kurt get a boyfriend. And be happy. Because he's just so darn cute and all :D Now, what about that John Stamos? Eh, Eh?

ಠ_ಠ

I'm just going to go now.

* * *

Chapter Ten:

"Phantoms of Tozuki's Hill."

* * *

The moon hung in the sky like an ornament, illuminating the darkness with a pale light that dressed the tree tops in silver. It nearly hid the four shadows that flickered across the forest floor two miles outside of the Konoha walls. The first had dark hair that fluttered around his face like a storm, with darker eyes to compete with the blackened sky. He ran in front of a group of three men, dressed in head to toe in steel plated armor that wrapped around their bodies like death shrouds. "Kaito," the dark haired man said, he cast his eyes back and locked eyes with the taller man behind him. "You are to take the left and look for the scroll in the temple halls." He cast his eyes over his other shoulder and nodded to his other inferior. "Murkuro, you will take right and search in the underground tunnels south of the counsel hall." He turned back forward and let a slick grin take a hold. "Kuji, you and I will take the Hokage's residence together. Now, split!" Two shadows flickered in opposite directions, leaving the two men to pass through the forest.

"What happens if we fail this mission, if the scroll isn't here?" Kuji asked quietly, looking upwards slowly to the back of his superior. Ahead of him the dark haired man snorted, clenching his fists.

"From what I was told, not even our greatest nightmares could stand up to our punishment if we should fail." The leader looked over his shoulder and matched eyes with cold, grey eyes. He shivered involuntarily, never having been comfortable with being alone with Kuji. "This scroll…it's the key to stopping this war. Konoha has so much power they think they can decide when the battles have been won. Our smaller villages pose no threat. Out of sight, out of mind. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Ahead of them the trees came to a small clearing, a stone wall standing between them and the village.

"I see, do or die." Kuji spoke firmly, slowing his legs down as they advanced towards their end. According to their map, on the other side of that wall stood an active bone yard that was approximately thirty minutes away from the Hokage's residence. At this time of night there would be little security, especially around such a deserted area like this. It was their perfect entrance, their perfect escape. The leader came to a complete halt, stepping forward and running his fingers up the length of the wall. "Are you ready?" Asked the voice from behind him. The man closed his eyes and opened them once more. He adjusted his forehead protector and nodded.

"As ready as I will ever be."

* * *

She was the biggest coward the Uchiha clan had ever given birth to, and even she knew it to be true.

"Ita-chan, I don't know about this..." Hinamei whimpered as she caught sight of the looming shadow called Old Tozuki's hill. Itachi kept his head straight forward, marking his answer with a smirk and a shake of his head. Even Shisui from in front snorted with amusement as her words reached him.

"So, are you admitting that you're too scared to do this?" Shisui inquired, turning his curious eyes back towards the couple. "I mean, you did already say you would. That would be awfully embarrassing if you backed out now." He turned back around and held the flickering light higher. "Besides, you don't want to walk home alone now, do you?" Hinamei hugged her coat closer to her chest and buried her chin into its soft folds. Shisui was always teasing, it was no denying that one day that sharp tongue of his would get him into serious trouble. She looked up through her lashes, blinking away the shadows that flickered across the dark grass. As if looking for his approval, she turned towards Itachi with a deep frown set into her pale mouth. He replied with a short roll of his shoulders before arranging his attention back towards Shisui.

"I don't want to walk home alone. I'll do it, you'll see." She said in defeat. A gust of wind blew as they advanced over the top of the hill, extinguishing the only light they had. Shisui blinked twice before grinning and tossing the burnt stick over his shoulder.

"That's good to hear. Now I hope you're not afraid of the dark or anything." He tacked on mercilessly. Grinning like a cat, he spun on his heel and placed his hands on his hips, eyeing the couple with obvious delight. Itachi spared a bored glance before sighing and turning his attention away from his older friend. Hinamei, on the other hand, shook and whimpered into her coat. Allowing her wide eyes to peek over and await Shisui's direction. The devil boy pointed a slender finger at the towering tree line that stood to her right, the same small forest she had ran to for comfort the day of her father's funeral. She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, praying for the best. "You know the rules." Shisui stated matter-of-factly. "You have ten minutes, then you can come out and I promise," he clapped a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. "I will never call you stupid again."

"-Or a crybaby. Or a chicken, coward, I don't like being called those either." Hinamei cut in, moving her mouth outside of her jacket. For the first time she cut a sheepish smile in his direction, grinning wider when his face flat lined.

"Fine, fine, no more of that either. Not that it matters or anything, you'll be crying in less than three minutes. What do you think Itachi?" Both pairs of eyes focused on the brooding boy, waiting for an answer. Itachi turned his head back towards the two and blinked, he furrowed his mouth and focused his inky black orbs on Hinamei. Finally, a smirk tugged at the left side of his mouth and he closed his eyes.

"I think she'll last the entire ten minutes." It was all she needed. Her eyes lit up and she pulled herself out of her jacket. Itachi never believed in her. And even saying never almost seemed like an understatement. She turned towards the frowning Shisui and stuck her tongue out, wagging it around to make sure he got the point.

"Well we'll never know if she doesn't get going soon!" He snapped back, straightening up and crossing his arms. "I'm going to start counting now." He said, closing his eyes and mentally starting at the number one. Hinamei hesitated for a slight second before nodding and breaking out into a swift run. After all, ten minutes really wasn't that long. She bit her bottom lip back and focused on the mission. Hell, she'd stay in for twenty minutes if it got Shisui to shut up for once. The trees wrapped themselves around her, consuming her until she saw nothing but the dark shadows of phantom limbs…

* * *

Kuji stepped in front of his superior, holding a hand out in front of the other's chest. His other finger tapped against his mouth. "Do you hear that, Haru?" The dark haired man narrowed his eyes and peered in through the dark tree lines. Having a forest clearing on the other side of the wall was something they expected but none-the-less could have done without. "Do you suppose they were anticipating this attack?" Kuji said quietly, lowering his arm and eyes at once. Haru stepped forward and clenched his fist close to his chest.

"Absolutely not, we we're flawless in our planning. No one knew about this mission except for us and the clan leader. The only way they would know of our plans are either if Kaito or Murkuro leaked any information. But even that," he crouched to the ground, "it's unfathomable. They know the consequences are too great." Haru looked up at the back of his partner, scrutinizing him. Was it possible Kuji had said something to the Konoha orderlies without his knowledge? It was true, he didn't know much about the man but even he worried about his life like any other.

A twig snapped in the distance through the trees, both men froze. "Someone is there, they know." Kuji said finally, a dark whisper barely catching the edge of the breeze. From his back pouch he pulled out a slender knife similar to that of a kunai but longer edged. "If we kill them now, we can leave before they have time to call in reinforcements." Haru hesitated for a slight moment but nodded, standing tall and pulling out his own weapon.

"Do or die, don't forget." The dark haired man said before jumping onto a low slinging branch and jumping forward. Kuji smirked and lowered his grey eyes, knowing full well what would happen. All in due time, he would leave with the money before the Konoha ANBU came running at his signal. It wouldn't matter if Haru or the others found out he had betrayed them, they would be dead faster than they could even call his name through their strangled pipes.

* * *

"One, two, three…how long would you say she's been in there Itachi? I lost count." Shisui said from the ground, he lie on his back with his arms firmly under his head. Itachi glanced over from his sitting spot and shrugged.

"Maybe five minutes. Already she's outlasted your expectations, you know." Shisui raised a brow and smirked at his friend, closing his eyes and relaxing once more.

"So she has. Why don't you just admit it already, you like her." Itachi's eyes snapped open and he delivered a firm glare in Shisui's direction. Of course, it got brought up sometimes and each time went exactly the same. Shisui would laugh and Itachi would glare and deny anything and everything. But it was painfully obvious and even to Shisui, it was _hilarious. _"Alright, don't say it. But I hope you realize, I know all about your feelings. You try not to wear them on your sleeve but face it Itachi, you're the most easy to read person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." The boy dodged the stone before it had a chance to peg him in the face.

"Hn, you're an idiot." Itachi looked up past the snickering Shisui and let his eyes fall on the tree line. Shisui was right from the start, the normal Hinamei would have ran out of there in less than three minutes. It wasn't like her to brave herself so carelessly. For a moment, a flicker or worry crossed his eyes. Last time she entered that forest she fell and had injured herself. Knowing how clumsy she really was made him wonder if maybe it had been a mistake letting her wander off in there by herself. With a reassuring nod to himself he stood up, Shisui opened one eye and glared.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to tell Hinamei to come out. She's proved herself enough and I don't feel like waiting any longer, I'm tired." With a snort Shisui stood up and stretched, rolling his shoulders around to ease the ache.

"Fine, she wins. But are you sure you're not going because you're worried or anything?" A smirk cut across his boyish features and he nudged his friend in the arm. "Are you, _Ita-chan?"_ Itachi shivered at his words and cut a sharp glare in the boy's direction.

"You get one more warning. Next time, I promise, you will wish you hadn't said that."

* * *

The night pressed against her skin and she shivered from underneath the thin fabric of her coat. Stupid boys, she knew she shouldn't hang around them. She shuddered at the thought of her mother finding her bed empty at this time of night. And it was all because of _them._ She had been in for less than six minutes, and already she had cried once and almost ran out twice. The next four minutes were sure to be nearly impossible. She stood with her back against the tree, tapping her fingers against the wood and hesitating back and forth between two feet.

A sudden noise to her left caught her attention and she snapped back and stared into the darkness helplessly. She could see nothing from where she stood, only the sudden glimpses of what appeared to be branches and foliage. "Shisui, Itachi? That's not funny. Not at all." She said openly into the air, hoping it was one of them trying to scare her out. No answer came from either side. Another twig snapped but this time it almost seemed to creep closer. Startled by the noise she pressed her self firmly to the back of the tree, closing her eyes and huddling close to herself. "Really guys, you're scaring me. Are you happy, you win!" She cried out, closing her hands around her head.

It was then that she felt it.

The tremor in the air shook with sudden danger. Her dark eyes shot open and she froze. There was something out there and it was most definitely not her boys. "I-Ita.." She tried to make out the words but found herself choking on them instead. It was hard to breathe, she had never been so scared. A creak from above broke her out of her trance. There hadn't been a breeze just then to move anything out of place, something compelled her then to look. _No! Don't do it…_she told herself, shutting her eyes and trying to inch closer to the tree. But her body betrayed her and she found herself moving her eyes up to the tree above her.

Hinamei had never seen a ghost, but that night she felt her knees tremble in fear as her eyes locked with his. There in the trees above her crouched a phantom, a grin cut into his face and black fire burning in his dark orbs directly above her. This was it, her end. The ghost slipped from the trees to the floor right before her eyes.

She screamed louder than she ever had right before a hand clapped over her face painfully and she felt herself being pressed into the rough bark behind her. "Hush little girl, we wouldn't want you getting hurt now would we?" He hissed in her ear, letting his smile widen as the fear overwhelmed her face. Her blood drained immediately and she went sheet white.

Who knew ghosts could feel so warm…


	12. Wielder of the Sharingan

Chapter Eleven:

"Wielder of the Sharingan."

* * *

_She screamed louder than she ever had right before a hand clapped over her face painfully and she felt herself being pressed into the rough bark behind her. "Hush little girl, we wouldn't want you getting hurt now would we?" He hissed in her ear, letting his smile widen as the fear overwhelmed her face. Her blood drained immediately and she went sheet white._

_Who knew ghosts could feel so warm…_

* * *

Shisui broke the night air with a loud laugh, holding his hand to his stomach and bending forward in hysterics. "You hear that? She's gone and spooked herself!" Itachi raised his eyes to the forest, curiously glancing from left to right. He had heard Hinamei scream like that only once before, that wasn't just a startled scream…that was genuine _fear. _Shisui slowed his laughing once he caught sight of Itachi's face, furrowing his brow he stood back up.

"What's wrong?" Itachi suddenly crouched down, pulling a kunai from his back pouch and narrowing his eyes at the looming forest. There was a coil in the air, pushing at their heads and screaming that something wasn't right. Shisui must have felt it too as he bent down and mirrored Itachi's pose, all sign of humor gone from his young face. "What the hell was that?" Shisui whispered, letting his eyes dart back and forth between the trees, looking for anything.

"I don't know. But you feel it too?" Itachi asked quietly, Shisui responded with a quick nod. "Come on, we need to get Hinamei out, now!" Both boys sprinted off towards the trees with that being said, determination marking both their faces as they sped across the graveyard. Naturally, Shisui was faster than Itachi, he flickered in between shadows until he reached the edge of the trees. Pushing his back firmly against the tree he held still and listened for anything out of place. There was definite movement in there, not from any animal he had ever seen out here. This was something big with a chakra flare to match. Much larger than Hinamei or themselves for that matter. His eyes widened and he stared into the blackness with a heartbeat that sounded more like a drum. This was far out of his reach, being only a genin he knew he was far too outclassed to take whatever it was lurking in those trees. Hell, Itachi hadn't even _graduated _yet, from where he stood this looked like suicide. His eyes flickered back to Itachi who had finally reached the trees, before awaiting any instruction he was already out of sights. _That idiot,_ Shisui cursed to himself, Itachi had ran in without even thinking. He bit back his lip and decided he had no other choice, he had to go in too.

The foliage was dense, running through the forest would have been a death trap to anyone not familiar with the place. Itachi moved a branch with his hand and peered out from under, he wasn't sure just how far Hinamei had went it to begin with. "Dammit!" Itachi snapped as the ground became more and more choppy. He wanted to scream out her name but every instinct in his body was telling him to stay quiet. Stay alert. He looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Shisui. He knew he shouldn't have blamed him for what was happening, but it couldn't be helped. After all, it was Shisui's idea to make Hinamei come out here alone. But there wasn't time for that, they had to keep moving. Hinamei could be seriously injured, there wasn't a moment worth wasting now. As reckless as it was, Itachi broke into a run. Leaving Shisui on his own…

* * *

"Do children often play in graveyards in the middle of the night?" The ghost asked Hinamei. They were perched on a high branch, his back to the tree and her back to him. His hand was still firmly planted over her face, just in case she wasn't keen on obeying orders. "You're little friends are looking for you, how sweet." Like a snake he dipped in closer to her neck, breathing down her shirt like a monster from nightmares. "They'll ruin everything if they keep this up." His free hand moved slowly towards his back, pulling a spare kunai out from his pouch and holding it up in front of Hinamei's face. She squirmed helplessly and muffled screams into his hand. "Now, now sweetheart. Don't be scared, this isn't for you. It's for him." He moved the kunai down and pointed at a small shadowy figure moving through the trees in front of him. Her eyes widened with fear when she realized who was centered beneath the target.

Shisui moved slowly through the brush, it was thick and thorny, persistent and stubborn as he tried to cross it quietly. His mood had finally filtered out, now not only was he looking for Hinamei but Itachi too. He mumbled to himself and narrowed his eyes through the trees, stiffening suddenly. There it was again, that large chakra that beat like a heart. Whoever their enemy was, he was getting closer. The grip around his kunai tightened and helplessly, he pointed it to his left, right, and center. "Come on, face me already you coward!" He yelled, throwing everything he had learned out the window. It was a foolish mistake, one he would soon learn to regret. A single kunai slipped through the air, pressing its blade into the tender part of Shisui's thigh seamlessly. The boy's eyes widened as the sudden realization of pain swept over his body and sound of shock flew from his mouth. Then another one came. The second kunai lodged into his upper arm, swinging him back towards the ground like a doll. A strangled choke left his lips and he hit the ground with a sharp thud. He could feel the heat of his blood streaming through his shirt and pants. "Ita-" The pain swelled inside of him and he shut his eyes tight to fight the unwilling tears that surfaced. "Ita-" It was no use trying to call for help, he slowly moved his free hand to his leg and gripped the edge of the kunai that stuck from his flesh. He would pull on the count of three. One, two… "Itachi!"

* * *

Black hair snapped against the wind, probing the darkness with wide eyes, Itachi stumbled to a halt. His name, he had clearly heard it come from behind him. Was it Shisui? This all seemed so surreal, like a nightmare that refused to end and instead reeled faster behind your eyes. He turned on his foot and surveyed the area, no linger able to put up his brave façade. This was beyond him, indefinitely. "Shisui…" Another muffled scream reached him and he realized he was wasting time standing around. He might not be able to save everyone but he sure as hell could help them stay alive. Turning around, he darted back through the trees, willing himself to move faster and faster still. Shisui wasn't far from where Itachi was, struggling to sit up he spotted the younger Uchiha running towards him and extended a hand in warning.

"Watch out!" But it was too late, a kunai grazed past Itachi's head, splintering the tree inches away from his face. Frozen on the spot like a deer, he caught his breath in his throat and closed his eyes. It all seemed so unfair. It couldn't possible end like this.

"My, is this what their teaching you kids nowadays? Where's the passion? The determination? One wound and you're all flopping on the floor like a dying fish. It's pathetic really." A deep voice snidely said from above them. Shisui tore his eyes upwards, trying to focus on the source in the black night while wincing at his movements. Itachi slowly turned around, cautious and half paralyzed with fear. It wasn't until he saw Hinamei squirming in the man's grips did he entirely regain himself.

"Let her go." Itachi said quietly, glaring up murderously at the smirking man above him. "Now." Itachi gripped tighter onto his kunai until he felt his hand bruising underneath the pressure. He locked eyes with Hinamei and felt a pang in his chest. This was far worse than when she hit her head. At least then he knew she would be okay, here however, any second everything could collapse. Shisui whispered something from in back of him but Itachi paid no mind.

"First off, drop the kunai kid." Itachi deepened his glare and ignored him, clutching tighter. The dark haired man grinned wider, pulling a fresh kunai from his pocket and forcing the top against Hinamei's temple. A pearl of blood bloomed from the prick and rolled down her cheek. Tears prickled at the corner's of her eyes as he increased the pressure. Itachi had never felt so helpless. Shisui was useless, Hinamei was taken hostage and nobody was around to hear it, to help. Everything was going wrong. He did the only thing he could do, the kunai clattered down to the floor. "Good, now I want you to run home. Now." Itachi stared up with his mouth agape. He couldn't honestly expect him to just leave could he?

"You're a complete idiot if you think I'm just going to leave my friends here." Itachi replied, snatching his kunai up from the ground and brandishing it out in front of him. "Now, let her go. You'll gain nothing from hurting her." Fear crossed Itachi's eyes and he hope it would go unnoticed.

"Brave little shit aren't you? I'll give you that. But just because you're brave doesn't mean you aren't stupid." His hands quickly unraveled around Hinamei, earning a quick intake of breath on her part at her sudden release. Itachi moved quickly, running under the tree before she had a chance to hit the ground, he barely caught her. Both children toppled to the ground, her unconscious body knocked the air out of Itachi and he struggle beneath her. Haru watched happily before jumping down and landing inches away from the couple. "I could kill you all, right now. Get what I came for and leave with the village being none the wiser. What do you think."

Itachi's hand flew to his chest as he willed himself to breathe. Praying the air would enter his lungs properly. His other hand was wrapped around Hinamei's limp wrist. "Don't touch them!" Shisui yelled from behind. He was crumpled on the floor, trying harder and harder to stand up. His leg gave way and he crumpled again with a loud cry of pain. Itachi pulled himself out from under Hinamei and watched from his hands and knees as Haru advanced, step by step. Finally, the air rushed into Itachi's lungs and he locked eyes with the tall stranger. It was now or never. Itachi wrapped his small fingers around the kunai he had dropped and jumped up just in time to block Haru's weapon with his own. Metal scraped against metal and the man froze, backing away a single step before growling.

"So, you're one of them are you?" He asked, eyeing Itachi's newly formed sharingan with disgust. Itachi took deep breaths and took another step forward, looking around at his surroundings in a new light. Everything seemed so…clear now. Haru let out a deafening yell and sprang forward, wielding his weapon as fast as he could. But it was useless. Itachi sprang left from right, blocking each hit with his own hand, a new found motivation backing him. Haru had gotten clumsy with fear, he was questioning himself and Itachi used it to his advantage. "Bastard!" Haru screamed, lunging at Itachi once more. Itachi swung the blade upwards as he stumbled back, he never meant to actually strike Haru.

A spray of blood hit Itachi in the face and he blinked at the image in front of him. Haru stood motionless, a kunai lodged into his chest. The man staggered backwards and looked up at Itachi with a forced smile coming underway. Shisui watched in fear as Haru crumpled to the ground and Itachi fell to his knees. His scarlet eyes grazed down to his hand and he frowned, he was still holding _his _kunai. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a fleeting shadow, a man in a mask.

"You did well." The masked man said, a shock of gray hair tilted over one side of his head. Itachi looked over, feeling the breeze brush the blood spatter cold on his cheeks, locking eyes with the slowly dissolving figure. The masked man looked up over him and motioned, "Their all over here, hurry, get them to the hospital."

Itachi felt his eyes get heavier by the second, the shadows around him blurred into one flat smear and the world began to spin.

Everything…was disappearing.

The last thing he heard before he shut his eyes was Shisui yelling his name.


	13. All He Needed

Chapter Twelve:

"All He Needed."

* * *

Itachi blinked once, twice, watching as the white hospital walls cleared into view. It hadn't occurred to him that he would wake up here, after passing out in the forest though it made more sense. He focused on the ceiling and willed himself to remember everything after having fully awakened. First Hinamei and then Shisui, could he have done more? A slight pain in his side hustled him from his thoughts and he softly lifted his fingers to probe his discomfort. Bandages wrapped around his center and from the feel of it, they were still tender wounds. He quirked a brow not remembering having injured himself at all. A sudden intruding sound captured his attention, from his left came the sound of soft, subtle beeping of a hospital machine. He was almost afraid to look. Slowly, he directed his eyes to the bed next to him. His mouth tilted open in shock. Shisui lay under the beige colored covers, his eyes were closed and surrounded with the touches of light bruises. Both his arm and leg were fully bandaged. To his right was a silver dish full of soiled, bloodied bandages. "Shisui…" Itachi whispered, letting his eyes catch every minor detail that marred his friend's skin. Itachi shut his eyes almost painfully. "I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning back against his pillow with a sigh.

"You have no reason to apologize, Itachi-kun." The young Uchiha snapped his head at the disembodied voice and frowned. It was the masked man that saved them that night. His mask was off now and replaced with another. His entire lower face was covered with a dark blue mask, shielding his features from view. Itachi wondered how long he had been standing against the door, after all he hadn't noticed until now. "Without you he probably would have been a lot worse off." Through narrow eyes, Itachi stared shamelessly, almost in disgust. The man's left eye was that of his clan's Kekkei Genkai and clearly this man was not an Uchiha.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked sharply, never letting his eyes stray from the stranger's face. The man strutted in front of the bed and bent over. He was obviously within the ANBU ranks, he held a stern look in his eye and at the same time seemed almost inwardly sad. The boy couldn't put a finger on it but none-the-less he remained concerned.

"Hatake Kakashi, any more questions?" His fingers tapped restlessly against the base board and Itachi looked away feeling oddly uncomfortable.

"Where did you get that sharingan?"

"That's a story for another time. Anything else?" Itachi sighed and shook his head, it was obvious he would get nowhere with this man. "Good, now I'm not going to stay long. In fact, I just wanted to say a few things and I'll be gone." Kakashi stood back up and peered down at Itachi with crossed arms. "For a brief moment last night, my troupe and I saw your battle skill. As we've heard, you haven't even graduated yet, but even still, it's obvious you're a true gifted prodigy. According to your teachers you have an innate aptitude for the ninja arts, and that would take you really far among the ANBU ranks."

"You came here to win me over?" Kakashi let out a low laugh and focused his eyes directly on the small boy. Staring into that sharingan made Itachi feel exposed, he had to look away.

"Not at all, I came to offer you a chance not many will have. It's your choice Itachi-kun, no pressure. Anyways, I've said what I needed to. I'll leave now and let you have your space." Itachi watched as Kakashi stalked towards the door, suddenly the man stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Are you feeling better?" For a slight second Itachi froze, a random question like that was something he had not expected.

"Well enough," he replied. His eyes searched the man and he shrugged. Kakashi nodded and turned back around.

"That's good to hear, she'll be happy to know." And with that being said he left the room. Itachi stared at the blank wall before glancing at Shisui once again. Part of him wished Shisui would just wake up. As much as Itachi liked his space at this moment he didn't feel like being so alone. Where was his family? Where were the hospital staff? He groaned and leaned back against the pillow, careful to not agitate his tender injury. A small knock on the door snapped his eyes back open.

"Come in." He said loudly, watching to door to see who was intruding. At first he was irritated she had come, it wasn't the type of company he needed at the moment. Then she smiled and suddenly he didn't feel the need to rush her out. "Your head." Itachi said dumbly, looking at her temple with a slight smirk. She had a single band-aid pressed against her head, it was nice to know she got away with only that. Her tiny fingers tapped the cut and she grinned broadly.

"It felt worse at the time." Her eyes lingered over to Shisui and her smile faltered slightly, "he's looking better than he did this morning." Gently, her fingers ran along the length of his hand. It twitched under her touch. "You were really brave back there Ita-chan."

"You weren't even conscious, how would you know?" He responded, snorting at her blank stare. If only she knew how stupid she looked right now. A sudden blush tinted her cheeks and she lowered her eyes.

"Everyone told me so. And thanks to you, I really doubt either of us would have gotten off so easy. It's my fault anyway." Itachi watched her retreat into her shy shell, he never liked that side of her. "If I hadn't gotten caught neither you or Shisui would have gotten hurt." His hands wandered over his side and he quirked a brow at the small girl.

"How did I get hurt anyway?" Her eyes shot open and she tapped her two fingers together nervously, it was obvious she would have rather done anything but tell him.

"Well, Shisui said I fell from the tree…and you tried to catch me, do you remember that?" He nodded slowly, unaware of where she was headed. "I guess I broke two of your ribs on accident, _sorry."_ Hinamei furrowed her brow and looked at the frowning boy through her lashes. "I didn't mean to Ita-chan." He sighed and shook his head. Only she would apologize for something like that. How long would that put him out of commission? As it was he had some training he desperately needed to work on, having broken ribs was the worst thing that could of happened. Then he remembered.

"Hinamei, look at me, do I look any different?" He asked hurriedly, she stepped back in surprise before narrowing her eyes and scrutinizing his face. To his disappointment she shook her head.

"You still look like normal Itachi to me, are you supposed to look different?"

"When I was fighting that man I felt something. It's hard to explain but everything seemed so much clearer. I was kind of hoping that maybe I had…no, nevermind. I must have just been seeing things." Hinamei looked away guiltily suddenly and began poking at her fingers once more.

"Well, I did hear something earlier today. That nice ANBU man was talking to your Tou-san about something…I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you though." Itachi cast a stern glance at her and she stood up straight suddenly. "Fine! They said you had developed your sharingan last night. And I guess that's my fault too!" But Itachi wasn't listening, he was staring intently at his hands with a small smirk plastered on his face. Already, his sharingan had appeared and that put him miles ahead of everyone around him. Even his older counterpart, Shisui, hadn't awakened his sharingan yet. The amount of skill he could attain was nearly unfathomable now, years and years of limitless techniques awaited him now. And he wondered if that's how every Uchiha felt their first time. No wonder they felt so superior, he could feel it coursing through his blood like poison. "Ita-chan?" Hinamei cut in and he glared at her for interrupting his thoughts.

"What?"

"I know I'm not going back to the academy," Itachi rolled his eyes, nodding her on to continue. "Well, I know you'll be busy and I know Shisui-san will be preparing for the Chuunin exams and all but I was wondering if maybe you would help me train. Personally." She gave a weak smile and Itachi found himself biting at his tongue. Hinamei never had good timing. Itachi gave her a knowing look, fully aware the onslaught of tears he was about to bring.

"Hinamei, go away. You know I won't have the time. It's your own fault your not going back to the academy anyway." She frowned and clenched her tiny fists inwards to her chests. Here they came, her face got pink.

"Itachi why do you talk to me like that, you jerk!" She wiped a hand across her eye, smearing her cheek wet with tears. "I'm always so nice to you but no matter what you have to find a reason to be mean to me! You're nice to Shisui-san, why can't you like me too!" Hinamei wailed and Itachi found himself grating his teeth together. How anyone expected them to grow up and wed was beyond him, they were polar opposites. And he figured they always would be.

"Itachi, she's right. You should be nicer to the poor girl." A frail voice caught both kid's attention at once. Shisui opened one eye and managed a toothy grin, even sparing a small wink for Hinamei. He tried to sit up using his good arm, groaning in the process. "If Itachi won't help you out, I will." Her charcoal eyes lit up like morning and she nearly jumped on Shisui. Blushing deeply as he winced in pain at her clutch. From the corner of his eye Shisui watched as Itachi stared at Hinamei, his eyes a question of doubt. Itachi scowled and turned away from the other two, leaning further back against his pillow.

"You really mean it? But what about your exams?" Shisui brushed it off with a wave of his hand.

"I've still got around six months. I'll need a training partner anyway." Her smile widened and she gently wrapped her hand around Shisui's wrist. She opened her mouth to ask what they would be learning when Itachi spoke up, still refusing to look at them.

"Fine. I'll do it. But only because I'd hate to see someone of Shisui's caliber get dragged down by someone with absolutely _no_ potential." Shisui stifled a laugh while Hinamei stared blankly at the brooding boy.

"If you don't want to you don't have to. " She replied quietly, lowering her eyes down to the floor. Itachi turned back around and raised a slender brow at her. She _never _gave up so easily, was it possible his words were actually getting to her? Itachi hardly ever felt guilty. It wasn't in his blood, Uchiha's did everything with every intention of giving pain and delivering justice. They didn't feel bad for making little girls cry or anything like that. At least that's what he wanted to believe. Hinamei slid off the bed and landed with a small thud on the floor, without saying another word she walked towards the door.

"I didn't mean it." Itachi said quietly, watching as Hinamei stiffened. It was funny how he always found himself in these situations. She turned around partly and blinked at him.

"What?"

"You heard me, I'm not going to repeat myself Hinamei. If you want my help you better start listening." But his words slipped right past her. Her eyes gradually got wider and she sprinted out towards Itachi with her mouth wide open in an ecstatic squeal.

"I knew it! I knew you liked me deep down there!" She said as she wrapped her arms gently around his neck. The Uchiha boy bit back on his lip and whimpered as she leaned into his ribs. She pulled away quickly with a sheepish smile on her lips. "Sorry, Ita-chan. I promise I'll be more careful from now on!" She pulled her hand up and a mock salute and giggled as she did so. Even Shisui couldn't resist laughing along at that one.

And for the first time since that night, Itachi was thankful he risked everything he had for those two.


	14. Graduation

**A/N:** Just a little update before I had to go to work, sorry it's so short :( The next few will be longer, I swear on it :D

* * *

Chapter Thirteen:

"Graduation."

* * *

He slapped a hand to his forehead and gritted his teeth in agitation. She just was _not _getting it. "Hinamei, stop. You're not even holding it right." She looked at her hand and furrowed her brow, it was her first time using a tantō, and judging by her lack of skill, it would be her last time as well. He rearranged himself behind her and pulled her arm higher, wrapping his fingers around hers and pulling her digits lower. "Like this, and swing with concentration. You look like an idiot swinging it around like a stick." She opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she realized how close Itachi was…his breath tickled her neck and she quickly jumped away with a shudder.

"Okay, okay, swing softer. I get it." She focused her obsidian orbs on the target in front of her. It was an upright log, fastened to the ground with metal. Her fingers tightened and she closed her eyes, breathing in once and release. She swung around, swiping upwards and cutting down again on a smaller branch. The blade stuck in the wood and her hands slid off it, she stumbled backwards and frowned. "It didn't work." Itachi stepped forward and pried the weapon out of the wood with one foot on the log as support.

"That's because you aren't hitting hard enough. It got stuck because you're _slow."_

She had been training with Itachi for a total of nine months now, ever since he regrettably said he would. She made little progress but none-the-less, it was more than any teacher had ever accomplished. He handed the weapon back towards her and nodded, slowly taking it, she stepped back up towards the wood. _Strike in the same place,_ she eyes the wood worriedly,_ cut it completely off._ With a tight grip she swung the blade upwards and sliced back down. The wood fell to the ground pathetically and she grinned, still holding the blade in front of her. She dropped the tantō and turned on her heel, intending to tell Itachi that she wasn't as slow as he thought. Her face dropped immediately when she realized he hadn't even seen it. "Itachi, I can't believe you di-" she shut her mouth immediately after she realized what he was staring at. Fugaku strutted over with his arms crossed and a very stern expression on his face. Itachi looked somewhat paler.

"Itachi, do you realize what time it is?" The boy shuffled and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking up at his father through his bangs.

"No."

"You're ceremony begins in fifteen minutes. Your mother asked for you to be back an hour ago. Explain yourself." Hinamei slunk backwards, knowing full well she was too blame. Itachi knew he had to be back at a certain time, he only stayed because she whined at him and begged for him to stay just a little while longer. Itachi's black eyes darted quickly back to her and she shut her mouth tighter. Fugaku had always resented her, she was unworthy in his eyes. Really, he couldn't stand the thought of his son even standing next to her. It wasn't any secret either.

"I-I forgot about it, I didn't think that much time had gone by already." Her breath clung in her throat as she watched Itachi bow to his father, Fugaku's eyes boring holes into his son's back. "Gomenasai Tou-san." Itachi pulled himself upright and met his father's cold stare. With a grunt his father turned and stepped away.

"Alright, come on. You're mother won't let you off so easily though." Itachi moved to follow his father until he turned around suddenly and looked up at the stiff girl.

"I'll see you there?" He asked her quietly.

"Of course." She replied, clasping her arms behind her back. He gave her a quick nod and darted off, she waved as he ran towards his father. With a sigh she turned back around and picked up her borrowed tantō, she still needed to get ready herself. She slipped the weapon into it's sheath and darted off back towards her own house. Kicking up dirt as she ran she realized she wouldn't have time to bathe or anything. Sometimes it seemed so difficult being seven. She pushed the door in and hopped around the kitchen as she pulled her shoes off, skidding down the hall until she darted into her room. People usually dressed up for this kind of thing, didn't they? "Kaa-san! Where is my blue dress?" She cried out as she dig through the bottom drawer of her dresser. Soft footsteps came from behind and a small sigh drifted through.

"Hinamei, you're making a mess. Look on your bed." The small girl froze and turned her head towards her bed. Just as she said, a grin found Hinamei's lips and she turned back towards her mother. "Hurry up, we're going to be late. What took you so long anyway?" Her mother asked as she ran a hand through her jet black hair.

"Oh you know, stuff." Hinamei answered as she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. Her mother watched pointedly before frowning.

"You're picking that up later." Hinamei waved her off as she struggled into the dark blue dress. It was flared at the bottom and came right above her knees. Her mother had even sown on the Uchiha emblem on the back under her neck, it was her favorite dress. Even Itachi had once said it was okay, which coming from him was quite the compliment. Once she was in it and it was buttoned, she ran into the bathroom and pulled her short hair into a ponytail, frowning as fringes fell out and framed her pale face. Her mother appeared back in the doorway and smiled.

"You look cute, is this all for Itachi?" The young girl met her mother's eyes in the mirror and stuck her tongue out.

"Of course it's not, that's gross." With a light laugh her mother walked away, calling as she went that they needed to get going. Hinamei sighed and walked out of the bathroom, slowly slipping her shoes on and fastening her hand in her mother's before they went through the door. Part of her wanted nothing to do with the Academy. She didn't want to see those other children, not to mention any of those wrecked teachers. But for Itachi, she would. If Shisui had been going maybe she would have felt different, at least she would have had someone to stand by other than her mother. She hardly saw Shisui anymore, now that he was a chuunin he hardly had any free time, but she understood. At least she had Itachi. They walked on in silence until the school came into view. Slowly, she snuck behind her mother, staring holes into the ground. _Everyone _was there, she didn't realize it was this important. Finding Itachi was going to be nearly impossible. She followed her mother into the crowd and stood behind her leg, hoping it would be over quicker than Itachi had said.

The noise died down and an older man began calling out names, Hinamei sighed. Itachi was going to be dead last. She pushed past various people until she could see everyone, her eyes brushed over everyone till she found who she was looking for. Itachi stood at the end of the line with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Every now and then his eyes would dart to the crowd, looking for someone he couldn't seem to find. She sat down and watched him until he got closer to the man with the headbands. At this point the young Uchiha was fidgeting with nervous hands. Hinamei struggled out from between the few remaining people despite their annoying complaints. Her hands flew up and she waved them around excitedly. Itachi glanced over and locked eyes with her, a smug smile finding it's way to his face. He stopped fidgeting immediately.

"Uchiha, Itachi." The man called down, letting his eyes fall on the proud Uchiha boy. His eyes lit up and he strutted up the man, taking the headband out of the man's hands before happily wrapping it around his head. After a few more names were called, the ceremony ended. Itachi stood up from his seat and smiled as soon as his mother ran up to him, Sasuke in one arm. She bent down and cradled her oldest to her chest, ranting on and on about how proud of him she was. His father, on the other hand, stood behind with his arms by his side, looking on awkwardly. It was evident he wasn't a fatherly love type of person. Hinamei wanted to go up to him but something scared her out of it. Until her mother's hand fell on her shoulder.

"Hinamei, go tell him he did good." Her mother bent down on one knee and wrapped an arm around the child's waist. "And know, I'm proud of what you've done. Even if you aren't a kunoichi, you're stronger than half those kids there. In here." She placed a hand over her daughter's chest and the little girl snorted.

"Right, thanks Kaa-san." She pried herself away and ignored her mother's chiding words as she ran towards Itachi. She pushed past children until she reached a few feet from the family. Itachi met her eyes first and he smirked, closing his eyes and flicking his headband.

"I bet you wish you had one." He said smartly, quirking an eyebrow at her sarcastically. She huffed and walked over to him with her arms crossed.

"Not at all, it makes you look even stupider than you did before." A girl her age shot her a dirty look from over hearing and Hinamei snorted in laughter. Mikoto rested a hand on Hinamei's head and the girl looked up, forgetting she was in their presence suddenly. "Oh, I didn't mean that! He doesn't look stupid at all!" Hinamei recoiled, raising her hands up in defense while Itachi let out a loud laugh. Mikoto just smiled and patted her lightly. "Please don't tell my Kaa-san I said that," Hinamei pleaded sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll pretend I never heard." She winked and let go, turning towards Fugaku with a smile. "What do you say, we'll take Itachi out for dinner tonight." Her husband responded with a quick nod, smiling back at his beautiful wife. Hinamei watched on awkwardly before Itachi cleared his throat in front of her. She looked backed and blinked at him, feeling stupid for eavesdropping.

"Still up for some training then, we won't be leaving till tonight." Itachi asked, a sweet smile on his face.

"I don't know, I'm pretty sore from this past week." She rubbed at her arm and looked down. "I was thinking about doing something else though." Her eyes met his and he raised his eyebrow in question. "Well, we've been doing a lot of weapon work lately and I saw you do that fire thing with your mouth the other day…" she held her fingers up over her mouth in an 'o' shape. "I want to do that too." As cutely as she could she clasped her hands in front of her and smiled. Itachi's face flat lined and he stared at her dumbly.

"We've done very little chakra work. You can't even make a proper clone, what makes you think you could do that?"

"Because you'd be teaching me, of course. It's only because you taught me that I can even use a kunai." Itachi snorted and mumbled something along the lines of, 'hardly.' Hinamei frowned and released her hands. "Can't we at least try?" He stared at her for awhile before sighing and lowering his gaze. Even he knew there would be no winning with this one.

"Fine, but not for long." He turned towards his mother and told her he was going to train some more. She said something about him overexerting himself before bending down and kissing him on the cheek. He rubbed it off before grumbling and turning back to Hinamei. The small girl squealed and latched onto Itachi's arm, he tried desperately to shake her off but to no avail and he sighed again in defeat.

There was just no winning with girls, was there?


	15. All the Small Things

Chapter Fourteen:

"All the Small Things."

* * *

The water's spray sprang upwards and tickled the edges of her bare feet as they hung off of the low dock. In her eyes was reflected the clouded sky, like fields of white blossoms that went on and on for what seemed like miles to the girl. "I want to stay like this forever. Even if we can't." Her hand crawled across the old boards until she found the soft appendages that were Itachi's small fingers, she wrapped her own fingers around his and held close like she could lose him any second. The other Uchiha stilled, his own eyes slowly lingering over to Hinamei's face, she looked so complacent, he almost dared not to speak. "Itachi?"

"Hm?" Her eyes flickered over to his and she held them there until she broke away with a sigh. She released his fingers and sat up, mirroring his pose.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do it. You were right, I'm not ready for that yet." She let her eyes fall to her reddened and sore fingers, pressing them together and then hissing in pain. She should have listened, accidents like this happened all too often, always because she thought she could be just as invincible as Itachi often was. "I don't know what's wrong with me." Itachi snapped his head at her, confused at her sudden change in attitude. Her voice wavered with a gentle sort of sadness and her eyes got glossy. "You shouldn't even keep trying to help me, it's useless. I'm terrible at everything." Itachi rarely ever saw Hinamei fall into a gloom. The normally bright and hopeful girl was now hunched over trying her hardest not to cry. He sighed and gently, laid his hand across her shoulder.

"Shut up Hinamei. You aren't useless, you're just learning. You really don't think you can learn everything in one day, do you?" Slowly, she looked up at him and her mouth quivered. As realistically as he could manage, he tilted his mouth to the side and grinned at her. "It took me at least a month to learn how to use the fireball technique." Her eyes widened and she forced herself back upright, looking at him with a small smile on her lips.

"Then you think I could really do it?" Trying his hardest not to wince at the thought, he forced a nod out and she grinned ecstatically. "Oh, Itachi!" He blinked before he was forced backwards, Hinamei wrapping her thin arms around his neck in a breath stealing hug. He grunted and tried to forced her off before giving in and letting her do what she pleased. "I don't care how mean you are to me, I still love you!" She pried away and looked down at him with a smile. "Do you love me too?" Itachi's eyes looked to the left and he left her with a small, 'hn.' The smiled slowly faded from her lips and she unraveled her arms from his neck. Itachi looked back at her and frowned, she wouldn't meet his eyes. The young boy crossed his arms over his chest and looked upwards at the sky, watching as the birds set across the sky seamlessly.

"I guess I do." A sharp intake of breath came from Hinamei and he glanced back at her with his eyebrows furrowed together. Hinamei looked at him blankly, blinked and then softened her eyes at the boy.

"I knew it." She pushed herself off of him and let him sit back up, watching as he brushed the dirt off of his shirt. "Say Itachi," their eyes met again, "what's it like being praised so much?"

"I don't know, it's-"

"-all he's ever known, you should really know this by now Hinamei." Both Uchiha's snapped their heads at the snickering, disembodied voice that drifted aloft. Itachi lowered his eyes and smirked, turning back around just as Hinamei was getting ready to bite back.

"When did you get back, Shisui?" The older Uchiha stood up straight and looked at his juniors with a smirk.

"Only about five minutes ago, you missed it, I don't think I've ever kicked so much ass as I did on this mission. You would have had fun." He added a wink and Itachi snorted in response, kicking his feet back and forth.

"I go on my first mission tomorrow, maybe then I'll know, eh?" Hinamei swiveled back around blinked at Itachi, frowning more and more as he ignored her.

"Tomorrow? You're leaving tomorrow? But what will I do all day?" Shisui pounced down behind her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and digging his fist into the top of her head playfully while laughing loudly.

"Well I'll be here all day tomorrow Hinamei, we can have all sorts of fun together, don't you think Itachi?" Hinamei squirmed under his grip, remembering in horror the last time she had to spend an _entire_ day alone with Shisui. She had already vowed not to do that again. Hinamei broke free from his grip and scowled, ignoring both boys as they snickered together.

"Shisui-kun! Come on, we've got to check in!" Said a voice from above. Shisui slumped his shoulders before standing up and bristling his hair from behind.

"You heard the lady, I've got to go." He spared one last sneaking grin at Hinamei, "and I will see you tomorrow, better be ready by seven!" The girl shot him a warring frown before he jumped off and proceeded to sprint towards his team, leaving the two Uchiha children to their own once more. Hinamei sighed and sat back on her arms, looking over at Itachi with a teasing smile.

"You really are lucky Ita-chan, you're so loved." Without hesitation the young boy smiled, leaning back and relishing in the warm sunlight. He knew he had everything, everything he could ever ask for. He slowly opened his eyes once he felt another source of heat graze his cheek, she had kissed him again. Their eyes met and this time it was Hinamei who felt the heat creep up into her cheeks. She tried her best to cover it up by grinning cheekily and waving her hand around. "You're so easy to catch off guard, see? I got you again." She closed her eyes and laughed nervously, until Itachi smirked and bent in closer.

It only lasted a second but their eyes met the second his lips met hers. They broke apart slowly, looking at each other with only the slightest bit of breathing breaking the silence. "Uh," Itachi looked away quickly and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Sorry." He mumbled looking away, Hinamei blinked once and looked down to her left.

"Did you just…" She began, her fingers grazed her lips before she pushed her brows together trying her hardest not to start laughing at Itachi's cherry red face.

"Yeah. I did." He glanced up at her and smiled sheepishly, breaking into laughter as soon as she let a bubble of a giggle slip. Their laughter subsided after a minute and they sat there, staring at each other until Hinamei broke the peace.

"Want to go home now?" He nodded and stood, slyly taking her hand in his as she met his height.

"Let's not do that again." Itachi suggested, feeling embarrassed just by thinking about it again. Hinamei snorted and clenched his hand tighter in agreement.

"That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

A slight breeze had stirred throughout the village, rustling the shivering green leaves around the ground as if they had a life of their own. Her hands were shoved deep into her pockets and a smile had been on her face since she said her farewells to Itachi. _He was changing,_ she thought to herself, _he was changing all for the best._ The rolling clouds split apart, giving way to the warm sunlight that bled through and hit her exposed shoulders.

Everything was going just as it should. Not once before this had she felt a part of anything, even when she was around Shisui and Itachi, she had always been the third wheel. But now, dare she say, they were friends. Her best friends in fact. The young girl smiled before breaking out into a run towards her house that had just come into view. Nothing could break this high that she had wandered into, or so she thought until she walked through her front doors.

"Kaa-san…" Hinamei asked quietly, looking around the room with her eyebrows pushed close together. The room was in pieces, fragments of their belongings were scattered across the floor, some broken and some not. She took a step forward over a shattered vase and called her mother's name once more. Her eyes shut upwards as a tearing sob drifted in from her mother's room. "Kaa-san!" Her pace quickened as she hurried over the broken pieces, jumping towards the hall like the floor had been lit on fire. The small girl whipped down the hall, skidding to a half once she reached her mother's open door. Once the sight reached her eyes, the girl frowned and looked away, blinking away the threatening tears. "Oh Kaa-san, not again." Her mother sat in a slumped pile, her raven hair tangled around her shoulders like dried brush.

"Hinamei, don't you miss him too?" Her voice was nothing but a wavering choke as she brought her swollen eyes towards her daughter, a frown took over her face and she looked down at the broken picture between her thin fingers. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I'm scared." Hinamei slowly brought her eyes upwards and shook at the sight. All of her father's belongings were strewn across the floor, things that were once precious to him were now crushed, destroyed by her mother's own talons.

"Of me? Why would you say something so rude to your own mother?" Black eyes met and she held her daughter's gaze for an uncomfortable amount of time before the younger broke away. This was the third time her mother had done this. Gone off the deep end and destroyed the house. It had never been this bad however. Her eyes drifted towards a pile of painted clay shards in the corner of the room, it had been a gift to her father three months before his death had taken place.

He had loved that makeshift vase.

Hinamei bit back her lip until she tasted that all too familiar rusting liquid, it was almost comforting.

"Look what you've done! What would Tou-san say if he saw you like this!" She refused to hold back any longer, it was about time her mother knew the monster she was becoming. Her mother's black eyes grew glossy again and it wasn't until she spoke did Hinamei realize she was yelling at a brick wall.

"You, you look so much like him." Her long fingers outstretched and she made a motion towards the frightened girl. "Come here darling, come to mommy." Hinamei stepped backwards until she felt the all opposing wall behind her, blocking her from retreating any further. Her mother crawled closer, that deranged look on her face. "Let me kiss you again."

"Kaa-san, please, stop this. Be normal." Hinamei whimpered into her hand as fresh tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. She slunk down the wall until she sat against the floor with her knees to her chin. Yet her mother inched closer, staring at her daughter like an odyssey out of this world. "Ple-"

"-don't you love me?" The young Uchiha hid behind her folded hands and closed her eyes. This would all be over soon, one the count of three. Start with one… "Hinamei, say you love me."

Then comes two… "I love you Kaa-san."

"Say it louder, I can't hear you." Her mother's fingers stroked the edge of her shoe, wrapping her hand around the small ankle that flinched at the cool touch. Hinamei said nothing, her mother's touch was frightening enough to make her bite back her tongue. She never could understand what made her mother break, but when she did it was as if hell had crept in through the floorboards and possessed her to her very core. "Say it." Her mother cooed softly, staring at Hinamei expectantly. Before Hinamei could even consider counting to three, her mother snapped. "Hinamei, say it!" A firm hand collided with the side of the younger's head, forcing the child's eyes open in shock as she was forced farther down. Her face collided with the floor and she cried out in pain as her mother wobbled upwards, staring down at the whimpering girl with a faraway look cast into her blackened eyes. "You're nothing like your father, you know that. He would have said it." Even through the sound of her crying, Hinamei heard her mother's retreating footsteps carry down the hall.

From outside of the window the wind howled angrily, forcing the trees to waver in it's wrath. Small droplets of rain hit the roof and she cradled herself closer wondering where the sudden storm had sprang from.

It's funny how something so little can ruin your entire day.


	16. Dark Days, Darker Nights

_"Blackbird fly, blackbird fly. Into the light of the dark, black night."

* * *

_

Chapter Fifteen:

"Dark Days, Darker Nights."

* * *

The small girl was cradling herself, falling deeper into a black void that threatened to consume her at any moment. She lifted her head, balanced on the delicate curve of her neck, and blinked. The darkness was nearly overwhelming, the only bit of color sprang forth from her dusty locks of hair as they coiled in front of her face, suspended in mid air. When she opened her mouth to speak not a noise came out and the sudden rush of movement made her throat narrow in fear. Small fingers clutched at her throat, noiseless as they clawed and cried out for a breath of fresh air.

Nothing came and a pain developed deep in the bit of her stomach. Her lithe body thrashed around, clawing at the seamless space around her. There had to be more than this. More to death than a smothering black hole, it all seemed so unfair.

"_Hinamei!"_

Her blackened eyes shot open and she looked around frantically, but there wasn't another soul for miles. A deep pressure shot into her shoulder and she was shaken awake, face to face with a boy who had seemingly lost all color there could have been in his face.

"Hinamei, breath dammit!" He cried out, shaking the girl again by the shoulder until her spine hit against the walls. The girl shuddered and a spasm of air reached her lungs, but it was too late. Her eyes rolled back and she fell into the prying grip of Shisui Uchiha.

* * *

"Have you any idea where Tsukiyo-san might be?" A stern voice asked far above her head. Her eyes were much too heavy and unwilling to catch a glimpse of who it could possibly be. A shuffle of feet moved towards the left and stalled, waiting for an answer.

"Well, almost…you see, she was spotted wandering out of the village gates less than three hours ago. Maybe thirty minutes before her daughter was brought in. No one thought anything of it but now that I think about it, someone mentioned she was talking to herself. You don't think-"

"She stopped taking her medication. That's exactly what I think." A fist was brought down upon a table and the startling sound of glass breaking filled the silent room. "Dammit! Why wasn't a nurse assigned to that household like I had ordered?" Fuzzy lines of vision seeped in through her closed lids and involuntarily, she widened the gap of light.

"Despite your orders sir, the Uchiha men on the council saw it fit to dismiss the claim that she was unstable. It was never investigated any further.-

"Of course it wasn't, those ignorant Uchiha haven't one unselfish thought in their heads." The child's dark eyes were staring holes into the ceiling, the words the doctor spoke sunk deep into her head. Was this how her beloved clan was beheld? Had she known better she would have felt angered by his words but deep in the pit of her stomach she knew the truth. They were stubborn and quite often ignorant. It wasn't a secret to anyone. Cold fingers wrapped around her thin wrist and felt for her pulse, instinctively her eyes flashed to the elder man that stood above her. If she wasn't mistaken, he looked almost embarrassed by his words. Behind him stood a younger woman with hair the color of autumn leaves, it was tied behind her back in a long rope spared of a few wisps that framed her face. Her eyes held the unmistakable glow of pity, soft and yet still undeniably sad. "How are you feeling?"

Hinamei met his eyes once more and frowned, recalling the spare words he had mentioned in regards to her mother. She asked the only thing she could, "What happened to Kaa-san?"

The man struggled on his words before he let his hand fall limp to his side, sparing her an apologetic smile before he spoke. "We don't know yet, but she'll be home before you know it. Now, how are you feeling?" Her eyes drifted closed and she moved her head to the side of her pillow. A small whine left her lips before she reopened her glossy orbs and stared out the window.

The sky was a black lake, dotted with smears of light. How long had she been here, unaware?

The man stepped around the room and sighed, he left with a small good night until it was just Hinamei and the nurse in the room. The bed shifted as she sat down besides the girls legs and her fingertips drifted atop her shaking hand. "Your name is Hinamei?" She nodded in response and the nurse smiled. "That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." The girl spared the nurse a small sympathetic smile, at least she was trying. Her eyes continued to drift out of focus, trying her hardest to block out the droning sound of the nurse. Useless questions that would have beheld even more useless answers. The nurse finally stood, smoothing out the folds in her dress. "Well, it's late now, you should get your sleep. If you need anything there's a button to the left of your bed." She left with a click of the light, dousing Hinamei in darkness.

Empty machines glowed under the light less ceiling, her eyes drifted from corner to corner until her eyelids tugged over her glossy orbs. She fell back into that void, drowning under a lonely shroud.

* * *

"You've come a long way, darling."

A soft brush of fingertips touched the sharp line of her jaw, trailing down until two fingers gripped the tip of her chin. Slowly, she tilted open her eyes, blinking at the never ending darkness that refused to let her go. She wasn't fully awake until she locked onto a pair of dark eyes she thought she'd never see again. "Tou-san?" Hinamei snapped alive, moving her hands behind her and supporting herself against the emptiness. A soft smiled adored his thin lips and he removed his hand from her chin.

"Are you alright?" His black hair brushed against his face messily, even if he hadn't always been a perfect father, he had none the less been there.

"I'm alone Tou-san, Kaa-san isn't well anymore." He quirked a brow and Hinamei continued, "The doctor said she left today." Her eyes closed shut, blinking away the pricks of tears that threatened at the corners. Two arms embraced her and she breathed in the soft scent of her father's cotton shirt. "What am I supposed to do by myself?" She managed to whine through. Her father pulled back and brushed her hair back, keeping her at arm's length.

"You're brave Hinamei, and strong. You have all the tools you need to make it on your own. And even still, are you really alone?" She pictured two young Uchiha boys, the very people who had made her into what she stood to be this very day and a smile adorned her pink lips.

"I guess not." A ruffle of the hair and a kiss on the forehead and her father stood up, crossing his arms and looking down on his daughter with a glimmer of pride in his eye.

"That's my girl. Stay sweet and never let those boys get the best of you, we love you." Her father's skin got more and more translucent and even though she knew he wasn't really there to begin with it still hurt in the depths of her stomach to watch him fade away.

"_Tou-san…"

* * *

_

She stood with her feet on the edge of the sidewalk, wiggling her toes through her shoes as if she hung from the edge of a plummet. Her eyes were glued to the broken concrete beneath her, almost ashamed to be standing outside the Konoha hospital. To her left stood a new nurse, her hair was coiled in dark blue ringlets, framing a face that held absolutely no interest in her current situation. They stood together, waiting for Mikoto who had agreed to take the child back home. Just in case she was still feeling weaker then she led on.

"She's here." The nurse said, dragging her dull hazel eyes to the hospital entrance. Their hands separated, leaving Hinamei's palm damp with uneasiness, wondering what the village thought of her family now that they had lowered themselves even more. A weak smile adorned Mikoto's face, one of pity and Hinamei forced herself to look away. It was a wordless exchange between the two, Mikoto grasped onto Hinamei's limp hand and turned back around quietly. It wasn't until they reached the edge of the block did Mikoto speak.

"Hinamei, you're welcome to stay at our house if you wanted to." Mikoto kept her head up straight, walking slowly so her steps wouldn't overpower Hinamei's dragging.

"Thank you, but Kaa-san will come back. I know she will." It wasn't right to keep her hopes up, she knew this. But something in the back of her mind refused to let go. It was just the person she was, inevitably, she wouldn't ever accept her mother's abandonment. Mikoto's slender fingers tightened around Hinamei's hand and sympathetic eyes matched the young girl's.

"Will you stay tonight at least? Another storm is coming." Hinamei looked up, watching the slate gray sky shift with the subtle breeze that ran through the streets. "It would make Itachi happy, you know." She smiled and Hinamei blushed pink, looking away with a tight smile. Would he?

"I guess one night won't hurt."

When Itachi came home from the academy, he found Hinamei sitting outside his house. Barefoot with a frown on her face he hadn't seen since her father had passed. Shaking his head to himself, he wondered if it would be best to just wander around the backside of the house, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. Or better yet, trouble his own with hers. But it was too late, the doe eyed girl had already spotted him and he closed his eyes to await impact. But nothing came. He reopened his eyes and blinked, Hinamei had turned away from him and resumed her day dreaming. Itachi took a few cautionary steps towards her, unamused as she continued to ignore his presence. "Hinamei?" She turned towards him halfway and nodded in response. "Why are you acting like that?"

She answered with a sigh and put her chin back on her knee, reverting her eyes to the road. It was almost as if she was waiting for something. His mind immediately switched to Shisui, wondering if he had backed out on his word to spend the day with her. Itachi snorted and mumbled a 'fine, be that way' before walking up the stairs into his house. "Itachi? Is that you?" He heard his mother's voice call from the kitchen. Slipping out of his shoes, he walked towards the kitchen. Meeting his mother's soft eyes with a scowl.

"What's wrong with Hinamei?" Mikoto stole her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away, leaving Itachi to wonder wordlessly what was wrong with just about everyone today. His mother bent down on one knee with a sigh and placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Let's talk."

* * *

The night had been awkward. Hinamei had hardly touched her dinner and when she excused herself to bed nobody said a word. She slipped down the hallway and leaned against the wall once out of sight of the rest of the family, a tremble on her lip. She just wanted to go home, she would have rather been alone on a stormy night than stuck in a house that just bled pity for her. Mikoto had told her she would be sleeping in Itachi's room while Itachi slept in Sasuke's room. Itachi hadn't said much, more or less leaving a nod in place of his words. She couldn't step into a room without feeling the tension breaking her back. She pried herself up off the wall and made her way into Itachi's room, sitting on his bed in the dark alone. His sheets were cold as she slid under the bed, inhaling the soft smell of his pillow she settled down and closed her eyes.

But sleep wasn't coming, not then nor an hour later.

The storm had gotten fierce, slamming against the window like an angry, invisible creature. The trees moaned under the howling wind while the light of the moon blared in through the window directly into her face and she turned over. Her mother was somewhere out there, alone and lost in the cold far from home. "Kaa-san…" she murmured into her pillow, tears sinking through her eyelashes and bleeding onto the gray pillowcase. It was now or never. The girl threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, wobbling as the shock of the two degree wooden floor riveted through her. She grabbed her only jacket and opened the bedroom door as quietly as she could.

She couldn't just stand by and let her mother die out there alone.

As quietly as she could she pulled on her boots, pausing to listen to the quiet creaking of the house. Nothing stirred and she took that opportunity to pull open the front door. The howling of the wind rushed in and panicked, she rushed out the door and shut it swiftly behind her. Outside, the air screeched with wind, leaves and dirt flew up into the air and another step off of the porch and her hair was whipping around like the branches on the trees. The small girl held her jacket to her body, whining as the wind forced her to the left and then back to the right. But determined, she opened her dewy eyes and pressed forward, running against the wind towards the gate of the compound.

"Hinamei!" A voice in the air reached her and she whipped around and focused on the figure in front of her.

It was none other than Itachi, standing on the edge of the porch in nothing but a blue shirt and gray shorts. His stomach was exposed as the wind throttled him around. He was yelling something at her, hands around his mouth to amplify the sound but it was lost to the wind. _Now or never._ She turned back around and without another second spared she stole off through the wind towards the gate. She refused to sit by, could anyone else honestly say they would have acted differently?

She pushed and pushed until she heard the unmistakable sound of running feet behind her. She didn't even have to look to find that Itachi was running after her, fury in his small face. Forcing her legs to move harder against the wind, the worst would happen if Itachi managed to catch up to her. But she forgot one minor detail.

Where as Itachi was a shinobi, she wasn't.

A hand wrapped around the fabric of her shirt, pulling hard until her legs slipped from under her and she tumbled to the ground with a scream, her arm folding underneath her weight. Underneath her whipping hair she stared upwards in fright, slinking away as Itachi stood over her with a tight scowl on his face. She hadn't ever seen him this angry. His hair slashed around his face, unblinking he clenched his fists together until his rage broke through the cracks. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He screamed at her over the painfully loud wind. At first her words were lost in her throat, unmoving she blinked away the tears and looked away. Rolling over to force herself upwards. But she wasn't moving at all for Itachi took his foot and pushed her back to the ground painfully. "Answer me!" He bent down and grabbed her by the front of the shirt, bringing her face towards his.

She felt the stinging of tears and she finally let loose, "She's missing Itachi! She's lost and she needs my help!" Itachi's fingers slid from the fabric and he let her go, looking away spitefully towards the gate.

"She's not coming back Hinamei." He said loud enough for her to hear. She paused and he turned back towards her, locking eyes. "She left you, abandoned you. And you know this." Hinamei's eyes widened, his words stinging through her built up barrier. Is that why she had been crying earlier? Knowing the whole time that her mother had left with the intentions of never coming back. The boy slunk to his knees in front of her, letting his eyes drop in understanding. It hurt, he knew, and that's why he pulled her close to his chest under the windy skies that night.

That's why he told her everything would be okay.

And that's why he promised her she would never be alone again.


	17. Drawing Blood

**A/N:** Thank you for the story alerts/reviews/favorites :D It's a relief to see people actually liking the story! Now I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, it came easily and I'm fairly happy with the outcome. Be prepared, we have another time skip in this chapter. And because of this time skip I'm gonna start including cute lil' Sasuke in all this shenanigans :3

* * *

Chapter Sixteen:

"Drawing Blood."

* * *

Itachi stood unblinking under the shelter of the thick forest branches, hands twitching against the cool treated metal of his shuriken. In the past three years his hair had grown considerably longer, he pushed the long threads behind his ear with his free hand and let his eyes flicker across the four spirals that were carved into the center of separate oak trees. He let his eyelids brush closed, swiveling to his left and releasing the four shuriken from his slim fingers with a powerful sway of grace. Listening, a soft smirk adorned his pink lips as the sound of splintering wood reached his ears. As he had thought, the ten year old Uchiha prodigy stood up tall and surveyed the area, he hadn't missed a single target.

A small sound filtered in between his thoughts and stole his attention from his training, he couldn't help but grate his teeth in instant agitation. Ten feet behind him sat a smaller girl with chocolate colored tresses, they flowed around her shoulders like water. But despite her outwardly classical appearance, a very bored and childish look was scrawled across her delicate features as she clapped her hands slowly in mock appreciation. "You did a good job Itachi-chan. _Like always."_ She blew of wisp of hair upwards with an upright sigh and sat back on her small hands. "Are you almost finished?" Itachi dug his fingernails into the soft flesh of his palms and cast an icy glare over his shoulder.

"_You_ are free to leave anytime _you _want, please, don't be shy." A scarlet tint flickered across his eyes and she snorted at his unsaid threat, none the less she bit back any smart retort that came to mind. Happy with his newly found silence he stepped towards the trees to retrieve his weapons when a soft sigh again intruded his silence. It was as much as he could take in a single hour. He spun on his heel and bared his teeth at the girl, whose irritating response remained nothing but a blink and another audible sigh. "Didn't you have plans? Why are you still here?" Itachi's temper began to way in and Hinamei frowned finally understanding the line she had crossed. Which, in all honesty, wasn't a hard place to stumble into lately. Group missions had been working him to the bone and with as much training he crammed into his day and nights, she wasn't surprised at his ill temper.

"I did but as you can clearly see, Shisui isn't here yet." Itachi responded with a snort and brushed his hair backwards once more as he smugly looked onwards at the pale girl. Hinamei cast a sullen look to the edge of the tree line, it was true Shisui wasn't ever one to completely rely on. Plans with him, well, they changed frequently. And often times without warning. "I bet he's forgotten again," she sighed and placed her chin on her hand, breaking her sights away to focus once more on the taller boy in front of her. "But you don't mind spending time with me, do you?" Itachi's dusty eyes locked with hers and he fought away the upcoming frown, with a shake of his head he turned around quietly.

"Not at the moment, keep interrupting me however and that could quickly change." She watched on in silence as he plucked each weapon from the wedge of the bark, eyes following every elegant movement he made. She didn't notice she was smiling till he turned back towards her and quirked a brow in confusion. "What is it?" A blush crept up into her cheeks and she turned away with a pout.

"Nothing, now stop interrupting _my _thoughts." Playfully she stuck her tongue out at him, only to receive a rather unamused glare in return. He slipped the shuriken back between his fingers and examined the area. Finally, the air had grown silent and his concentration was at its peak. His slender arm whipped backwards and he focused on the target-until another intruding sound slipped in through his serenity.

"Itachi! Hinamei! Where are you guys!" A light voice carried in through the sound of the trees and with a fierce scowl on his face Itachi realized he had been off target by four inches on all spirals. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Hinamei rushed to her feet, perking up as the sound of Shisui's voice got closer.

"Over here!" She yelled out, cupping her hands around her mouth. Her hands flew upwards and waved erratically as Shisui crept in from between the tangled brush. He smirked playfully and ruffled his already tousled black hair as advanced.

"Couldn't have picked a more secluded area, could you?" His eyes flashed towards Itachi and a grin shuddered onto his face. It was impossible, Itachi couldn't help but smirk back and lose his growing temper when Shisui was around. Before Itachi could look away his eyes settled on a slim object dangling from Shisui's belt. It nearly glowed in the radiating sunlight that spilled in from the open foliage, drawing his attention towards it like a moth to candlelight. "Pretty, isn't it?" Itachi blinked and locked eyes, moving away with a shrug of his shoulders. It's not like he hadn't ever seen a katana before. Hinamei smiled happily before breaking out into a bubble of laughter and throwing herself at the ready Uchiha. Shisui hugged her close and pulled her out at arm's length, "you better take care of it." Itachi stopped dead in his tracks before slowly turning towards the couple, his mouth was a stiff line on uneasiness.

"You're giving that…to her?" He asked slowly, unsure of the situation at hand. It was obvious they had been making plans behind his back, which on most accounts wouldn't have bothered him. It was only as of lately had the two concocted such terrible and stupid ideas that had him slapping his own forehead in disbelief. They were almost like a set of inseparable siblings. Both undeniably idiotic and reckless, a bad combination in Itachi's opinion.

"She wanted one, besides, she's terrible at those short swords she's been handling for awhile now. All she needs is a few more inches height wise and it should pose no problem." Shisui's hand patted that sword and he shot a quick smile at Hinamei. He had learned fast that siding with the girl was always less of a problem than agreeing with Itachi. On several accounts. Hinamei's hands flew across her chest in annoyance, flashing another indignant pout at her senior.

"Itachi-chan, I'm not as useless as you think I am. Just because I'm not as good as you doesn't mean I'm not good at all!" He snorted in response, Hinamei frowned. "You don't believe me?"

As bluntly as he could manage he retorted, "no, I don't." Her smaller hands clenched up and she reared forward on one foot. Shisui managed to suppress a shot of laughter, no one took Hinamei as seriously as she took herself. Itachi watched her blankly, staring at her with a neutral and daunting expression on his pale features until a wave of amusement washed over him.

"Well fine! Let me fight you then, tomorrow! Maybe then you'll learn to keep that big mouth of yours shut!" The boy answered with a nonchalant shrug, knowing full well he was getting that rise out of Hinamei that he always manage to find. Before she could impose once more, he responded with his back rudely towards her.

"Alright, let's. But let me tell you now, you won't be able to touch a single hair on my head."

* * *

Her warm eyes watched as the blade shimmered in the soft light of the setting sun. Rolling the weapon in her hands and dangerously letting her fingertips stray over the small exposed blade out the top. Itachi had seemed all too willing to fight her, his lack of hesitation was enough to make her instantly wonder if she had made a brash and stupid decision. Not to mention, she knew full well Itachi was exponentially stronger than she. It didn't take a prodigy like him and Shisui to figure that one out. She sighed and up righted the blade, letting it slide back into it's sheath with a soft clink. Holding it close to her chest, she rolled over until she faced the shimmering glass of her window.

It was oddly quiet in her house. More so than usual considering she was the only one to occupy it now a days. Each night however she stayed awake until she couldn't resist, waiting for her mother to come back home. But it was useless, she knew. It had been nearly three years now since that day. Her mother was either living elsewhere or dead to this world. As hard as it was for her to admit it, she knew it was most likely the latter. A flock of black birds stormed past her window, the sun began setting more and more until only a drizzle of pink shimmered on the horizon. Things had changed so much in the past three years, it was almost as if all three of them were forced into an early maturity. Hinamei, forced to survive on her own (disregarding Mikoto's constant flusters and invitations) she had learned what it meant to defend for yourself. Even Shisui had sharpened his skills, it was everything the clan spoke of when the word prodigy or genius was mentioned. But by far the most changed had been Itachi. As where he was still himself, he was changing ever so slightly. Things were more serious to him, like he had his entire life hanging by a single thread. All he could do to protect it was to get stronger. Knowing that one day he would be forced to protect it with every bit of strength in his body. It was almost respectable, if it didn't seem so worrying to the young girl. She couldn't move the lingering feeling that Itachi would turn, for the worse. Every day his mind seemed to grow darker, more and more lethal as he took in more information and more of the clan's pressure. It didn't help that his father settled such responsibility on his frail shoulders.

She shook the troubling thoughts from her head. Thing would be fine, Itachi was who he was, even if it meant dealing with it for the rest of her life. She gladly would, over and over again.

Hinamei settled into a light sleep, still clutching the katana close to her chest.

* * *

"This is by far your stupidest idea yet." Hinamei shot a silencing glare to Shisui, who guilty laughed and sat back on his ankles, ready to watch. Itachi had yet to arrive for their gathering and Hinamei stood by awkwardly with her sword dangling between her hands. It was heavy, more so than she would have thought and it by far outstretched her height. Clumsily she whipped it downwards, stumbling as it pulled her along with it. Shisui made a delighted sound and she brought her bright eyes upwards, Itachi was walking along the road, carrying a short object in his hand. Judging by the way he swung it back and forth, it couldn't have weighed more than a feather. Through narrow eyes she watched him advance, her calm demeanor quickly sliding away. Shisui broke the silence with a loud laugh as he clambered forward. In Itachi's hand was a stick. Nothing bigger than the width of his thumb, he smirked at her unhappy features.

"Is this a joke to you?" She hissed coldly, it was unlike her but the fact that she was being made a spectacle of was enough to bring the darkness out of her core. Itachi swung the stick upwards and brandished it upwards like one would a sword. That mocking smile never leaving his thin lips.

"Only slightly, you never mentioned there were conditions. But it doesn't matter," he eyed the girl teasingly and flicked his stick in her direction. "You will lose regardless of your weapon."

"You're sure of this?" She asked, tweaking her mouth in a mock interpretation of his own proud expression.

"Without a doubt."

Hinamei didn't wait for an invitation, instead charging at him at full force with her katana held upright. She swung it downwards until it grazed the dirt and flung it back up, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. Itachi moved to the side, dodging her crude swings with ease. His carefree manner brought her teeth together and she cried out angrily as her blade slashed downwards. Shisui watched on silently, losing all smart remarks he had gathered in the beginning of their duel.

She wasn't as bad as he had thought she would be. Clumsy? Without a doubt. But useless? That term had been eliminated from her description entirely. Itachi's face hardened as the blade caught on the edge of his shirt, slicing through half an inch of the dark blue fabric. He winced and flashed his eyes up to hers in amusement. "That doesn't count you know." Her mouth tightened and she clenched onto the handle tighter, pausing in her assault while she waited for him to make a move. With a twitch of her eyes she saw his fingers tighten around his stick. A dangerous smirk caught the edges of his lips and he whipped his weapon upwards. He was faster than she gave him credit for. Despite its small size, she could feel her skin redden and welt as the stick slapped against her bare flesh. A small cry emitted from her closed mouth and she stumbled backwards, taken aback. Her dark eyes narrowed and she brought the blade down again. Her hands were more willing to cling to the blade then they had been, each movement became increasingly more natural to her until she was able to hold it upright without it wobbling in every direction. Itachi nodded in approval before reaching down to strike her again.

He hit her on the leg. Her exposed calf instantly reddened at the whip, bruising under it's stealthy touch. Her only reaction was to drop the blade and stumble backwards with wide eyes. Itachi merely watched on wordlessly, she dropped to one knee and her small hands wrapped around her welted leg. Unwillingly, tears prickled at the edges of her vision and she quickly blinked them away. Not wanting Shisui nor Itachi to see how bad it was getting to her. With as much strength as she could muster, she stood back up, flexing her hands into a flat shape.

If her sword couldn't hit him maybe her hands could.

His eyes grew wide as he realized her plan, stumbling backwards to avoid her crass attacks, he dropped his own weapon and placed his hands upwards in defense. It was easier than before, her attacks were slow and poorly thought out. Watching a scowl appear on her face was almost endearing. Not that he would admit it to anyone. She brought her fist down with a fury, shock swelling over her as her thin wrists was caught in the grasp of Itachi's quick fingers. They paused and momentarily forget the reason they came out in the first place. "You're getting better Hinamei, but you're far away from drawing blood." Her mouth opened and closed in lost words, the action made his mouth tilt upwards. Itachi's eyes were drawn downward and momentarily he forgot he was in the presence of another person. Lightly, he laid a chaste kiss onto her rosy lips. Smiling broadly as her arm went limp in his grasp, he retorted smartly, "let's do this more often."


	18. Filth

**A/N:** Blame my broken laptop for delivering such a late update TT_TT

Thank you for everyone's patience, alerts/reviews and all that other jazz. And a big thank you for xxyangxx2006 for editing this chapter, I feel so much better about it now XD

* * *

Chapter Seventeen:

"Filth."

* * *

This was day four.

Hinamei sat in Mikado's kitchen quietly, her eyes locked on the sweet peaches and cream sunset and her mouth a line of worry. Footsteps trembled from the hall and she knew instantly that warm aura. "He'll be fine, you need to stop worrying so much. You'll give yourself a headache staring like that." The pale girl sighed and turned towards the motherly figure, smiling as she did so.

"I know he will, knowing Itachi he'll be the first one out of that forest. Who knows," she glanced back out the window. The sun was almost out of sight. "Maybe he's already waiting to come home." A loud patter of footsteps caught both attentions and they turned to watch the smaller Uchiha come barreling into the room.

"Kaa-san! Look, I'm bleeding!" The small raven haired boy bit back on his lower lip, his eyebrows upturned in pain. He whined and continued to squeeze blood from his finger. Mikoto sighed and ruffled Sasuke's hair, telling him patiently she'd go fetch the bandages.

"That's what you get for messing with your brother's kunai." Hinamei said with a smug grin plastered on her face. The five year old boy scowled in response and turned away, his pain instantly forgotten.

"That's not what cut me, so shut up." She snorted and turned back to the window. Only one more day till Itachi was due to come home. Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the brooding girl and frowned. Usually, she didn't listen to him when he ordered her around. Something must have been wrong with her. Sasuke popped his finger in his mouth and sucked at the cut before walking over to the table and sitting himself across from Hinamei. She didn't even look to acknowledge him and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why are you acting so sad?" She quirked a brow at him and couldn't help but smolder a smile as she realized just how much he looked like Itachi.

"I'm not sad, I just want Itachi to come home sooner. It's awfully boring around here without either of them around." Even Shiite had been caught up in preparations for the Chuunin exams as of late. Not to mention, he was involved in a lengthy training to apply for the ANBU squad.

"Well, you could always play with me." Sasuke smiled cheekily and she returned the grin.

"I do play with you _brat_, this is the first time I've sat down in hours!" Mikoto came in to the kitchen, holding two types of bandages in her hands and looking down at them, torn between the two.

"Itachi was always better at this-"She mused to herself before Sasuke interrupted her.

"It's all better Kaa-san!" His small hand wrapped around Hinamei and he pulled her from her chair, ignoring her complaints as he drug her from the room. Mikoto answered with a frown but waved them both off, happy to see Hinamei not so down anymore. Sasuke took Hinamei to his room, she took one look at the weapons on the floor and snorted, snatching her hand back.

"Not playing with them, right?" He looked away sheepishly and kicked one with his foot.

"Don't tell Nii-san, please!" She waved him off with a promise and walked over to Itachi's bed. She had been sleeping on it for the past three days as Mikoto had insisted Sasuke was too scared to sleep alone. He had denied it but she knew better. "Hinamei?" She looked at him but stayed silent as she rested her head against the pillow. It smelled just like him, breezy and soft. "Why do you like Nii-san so much?"

"What do you mean? I like you too and Shisui-san." He shook his head adamantly and pressed forward until he sat at her feet.

"But that's different. You love Nii-san don't you?" She sighed and rolled over, tucking her foot in the nook behind Sasuke's knee. She wiggled her toes at the warmth and smiled.

"Before any of us were born they decided Itachi-chan and I would one day get married." Sasuke crinkled his nose at the idea and she continued, "We have no choice in the matter."

"Do you want to?" Sasuke asked quietly, kicking his bare feet against the bed childishly. Hinamei's eyes rolled towards the ceiling and she blinked, amused at the question.

"I've never really thought about it before. Not like it matters or anything, I'll stay have to marry him." Sasuke looked away shyly before a slick grin appeared on his face. He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling.

"You know, Nii-san really likes you. He won't admit it but I hear him say your name when he's sleeping. I guess that means he's dreaming of you." The boy snickered and a hot blush crept into her cheeks. Dreaming of her? She shivered at the thought and joined in with Sasuke, pushing him off the bed with her foot. He only laughed harder. A quiet knock stole her attention away and she sat up. Mikoto answered the door and a muffle of voices could be heard from down the hall. Both children ran to the doorway to see who was visiting this time of night.

"They're right down the hall." Mikoto said kindly, a couple of footsteps more and the ruffled head of Uchiha Shisui came into view.

Hinamei's eyes lit up and she stole towards the surprised looking boy, her arms weaved around his neck and she didn't dare to let go.

"Oh it's so good to see you Shisui! Why are you here?" She asked, pulling away. He shrugged and she let go, they walked into the room where Sasuke was hiding the mess of kunai and shuriken on the floor.

"Finally got a chance to go home, I hadn't seen you two in a couple of days and just wanted to check in. How's Itachi doing?" Her shoulders fell and she looked up at him with a pout.

"You mean you don't know either?"

"Why would I know? I went in the forest once already, no way am I going in there again." He snorted and sat on the bed, stretching his limbs out with a yawn. He took note of her disappointed demeanor and managed a smile through his stretch. "Don't worry though, Itachi's at the top of his class. He'll be fine, right Sasuke?" The boy nodded and looked up at Hinamei reassuringly. If Sasuke wasn't concerned then she shouldn't be either, she nodded to herself and rolled her shoulders back up.

Everything would be fine.

Shisui left not so long after, his own mother was waiting on him for dinner and he didn't want to keep her waiting. She stifled a yawn and looked at Sasuke, his eyes lowered. "I think I'll go to bed early tonight, you kept me up all night yesterday. I didn't know someone so little could talk so much."

He tried to tell her to shut up once more but was interrupted with a large yawn. He rubbed at his eyes and looked up at her with a weak smile, "I'm tired too. I'm going to go say goodnight to Kaa-san." He wobbled upwards and slowly stalked from the room.

She took that chance to change clothes and slide into the cold sheets of Itachi's bed. She rubbed her cheek up against the cloth affectionately and sighed, knowing Itachi was probably sleeping in dirt with a rock for a pillow. She just wanted him home. Sasuke returned and crawled into his own bed, the lights were off, and all that was left was the soft glow of the pale moonlight streaming in from the window. Her eyelids pulled shut and she thanked the silence that plagued the room.

"Hinamei?" Her eyes shot open and she turned around, even if she couldn't see him she knew he was hiding beneath his covers. "Goodnight." She gave a small laugh and returned to gesture, rolling back over to let sleep take her. Until another small voice intruded her sleep. "Hinamei?" He asked once more and she frowned, he did this every night. Thinking he was tired until they crawled into bed and he would talk for hours after.

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun!" He giggled and rolled over in his own bed, finally letting sleep consume the both of them.

* * *

She woke to a pair of bright onyx hanging over her bed and unwillingly yelped at the sight. "Sasuke! What are you doing!" She pushed the small laughing boy off of the bed and sat up. The sun had just barely caught the edges of the mountains and she frowned. "Why are you up so early?"

"Tou-san told me Nii-san is coming home early soon. I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to see him when he got out!" The boy gave a cheeky grin and slapped his hands together with excitement. Early? Did that mean he didn't make it through? Hinamei gave a concerned look at the hyper boy and he shook his head, thinking the same thought. "Everyone finished already, even Nii-san!"

Hinamei shot from the bed and winced once her feet touched the cold wooden floors, but nonetheless she scampered to the bathroom with her clothes in hand. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She said loudly as Sasuke whined from the other side of the door. She spit the water from her mouth and combed her unruly hair back, opening the door to a very bored looking child.

"Finally," Sasuke mumbled. He had a coat shrugged around his shoulders and was bundled up tightly by Mikoto. She stood against the door frame looking worn but regardless, she smiled at the two.

"Hurry up and bring Itachi home, I'll have lunch ready by the time you get back." Sasuke's dainty hand slipped into Hinamei's and together they rushed out the door.

The air outside nipped at her bare arms and she halfway regretted leaving any of her coats back at her house, but it didn't matter now. Itachi was coming home and the next stage of the test wasn't for a few more months. As tough as he could be, she missed being around him nearly day and night. It was good for her. A slight breeze pushed the two forward and Sasuke mumbled to himself. She glanced downwards and watched him struggle to free a napkin wrapped package from his pocket. Finally, with one last tug he freed the napkin and grinned.

"I stole these for us," he said as he unwrapped the napkin to reveal two whole tomatoes. Grinning upwards he held one up to Hinamei, she reluctantly took it. Sasuke bit into it, happily drinking up the juice and she frowned.

"You're weird, eating a tomato like that. It can't taste very good."

The boy frowned and through a mess of juice he corrected her, "These ones are sweet, try it and you'd like it too." He took another bite and slyly, she tucked hers into the pocket of her pants for later. The only sound heard as they walked was Sasuke's mouth and the quiet hum of people starting their day.

As the sun got higher her shoulders warmed and she watched Sasuke squirm under the heat; now she was happy she had left her coat at home. It took less than she had expected to reach the gates of the forest, parents and other children had started to conform, waiting for their own kin to come out of the second stage. Minutes passed and Hinamei grew restless. The sun had finally begun to irritate her pale skin and she blinked upwards at the sun. What was taking so long?

As if to answer her question almost immediately a shrill yell pierced the air and the crowd stilled around her. Hinamei braced herself and tucked the now trembling Sasuke beneath her arm. Her dark eyes probed the area until she caught sight of a slender arm reaching through the holes in the wire fence that surrounded the forest. The fence shook and the arm was pulled back in. A woman could now be heard yelling and by this point no one dared to move.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke asked quietly, his voice quivering as he spoke. The yells quickly shushed and the gate was flung open, along with two small children. The first to hit the ground was a boy around her age with hair the color of slate and eyes a deep green. Red liquid fell in droplets from his parted mouth and a dark bruise was beginning to gleam from around his eye. As her eyes fell lower she noticed the deep purple imprints marked around his arm.

Sasuke flew forward, if it hadn't been for Hinamei's quick grip he would have made it towards the second boy.

Uchiha Itachi.

His eyes were a blazing scarlet, all three tomoe burning into the other boy's skin. His face was like alabaster, more so than usual and his entire body shook with rage. "I don't care what they do to me," the silver haired boy spoke suddenly. Itachi stilled to hear him, his breath catching in his throat. "We all know that you and your dirty clan are nothing but filth to this village!" The boy's green eyes lit up and he staggered upwards, pointing an accusing finger at Itachi. "It was unfair to let you in here, thinking you're so much better with those eyes, you're nothing but-"His words were cut off as Itachi had made an A-line towards the boy, kunai in hand and no later, at the other child's throat.

"You wouldn't want to say anything you'll regret now, do you?" Itachi hissed, his kunai dropped as soon as he saw an instructor dash towards him and immediately, he stepped aside. The man took Itachi by the shoulders and said to him something that couldn't be heard from where she stood.

Whispers sprang up from the once quiet crowd and they shifted to move in closer to the forest walls. Hinamei stood still, caught in a gaze with a pair of crimson eyes that now seemed almost unfamiliar to her.

But Itachi broke away first and coldly, he turned his back on everything and walked away.


	19. Betrayed

**A/N:** I didn't forget, I promise! Now the story is coming to an end shortly-I would estimate maybe another six or so chapters left. I'll try and stretch it out a bit though. Alright, and now for the long awaited chapter eighteen!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen:

"Betrayed."

* * *

"Finally, it's all clean." She turned her large eyes up towards the window above the sink and smiled to herself. It was a lovely day outside, the sun was high and the skies were clear of any clouds. Mikoto wiped a damp hand against her apron and sighed as she turned her attention towards the front door. They should have been back by now. "Any time now, I'm sure. I _should_ get lunch ready though," she mused to herself and then turned towards the cabinets. Running a slender finger against a row of boxes her eyes lit up and she pulled the third box out. "Itachi likes this." As she fumbled to open the box up and loud bang forced her hands to open and the box fell to the floor, spilling a deep colored broth with it.

"Kaa-san! Kaa-san!" Mikoto turned around alarmed at Sasuke's outburst, blinking as he struggled in up through the hall until he slid into the kitchen. His eyes were wide and dotted with tears and his mouth was upturned in a quivering pout. "Nii-san, he ran away..." Sasuke mumbled into the crook of his sleeve, trying to wipe away the hot tears that ran down his cheeks, "he did something bad, I just know it."

"What are you talking about? Sasuke, where's Hinamei? And about Itachi, what do you mean he ran away?" Mikoto sank to one knee and dabbed at the spill with a red piece of cloth. Sasuke pointed a short finger towards the door and soon stumbled in Hinamei, cheeks red and eyes even wider than Sasuke's had been.

"Sasuke," she breathed heavily, leaning against the door frame with her eyes shut painfully. "You just...left me back there...you brat!" She shot an accusing finger at the whimpering boy and in turn Sasuke wailed loudly and hung behind his mother's elbow. Mikoto sighed and turned her attention to Hinamei who now had a hand pressed against her chest as she willed herself to breathe.

"So where is Itachi?" Hinamei opened one dark eye and stared at Mikoto with her eyebrows upturned. Finally she shrugged and slunk back against the wall.

"I swear, we looked everywhere for him but Itachi's gone." Mikoto's eyes strayed past the girl and out through the window. A small series of words escaped her mouth and Hinamei stood up straight. "Don't worry, he'll come back. He always does." She forced a smile but somewhere in the back of her own head she questioned her own words. The old Itachi would have come back but this new Itachi, well, it was hard to say. She watched silently on as Mikoto put the whimpering Sasuke back on his feet, he wiped his nose and teetered past Hinamei without a second glance.

"We'll have to go find Fugaku I suppose. Will you watch Sasuke while I go find him? He should be at the station today, it won't take more than twenty minutes." Hinamei shuddered at the thought of Fugaku getting involved and put her hand up before Mikoto could straighten herself up.

"If you'd like I could go look for him again. It should be easier to do without Sasuke now. I promise, I'll find him before Fugaku-san gets home." She watched as Mikoto pursed her lips and looked away doubtfully. Hinamei straightened up and smiled widely, whisking her hair back with her free hand she leaned forward. "Don't worry, I'm sure everything is fine. Just watch, I'll be back in less than ten minutes with Itachi right behind me!" She didn't give Mikoto a chance to answer as she headed for the front door. Her eyebrows were firmly pushed together and she frowned, throwing her eyes towards the ceiling. _Itachi owes me one, big time! _The front door slid open and she stepped out into the sunlight, wincing as it touched at her eyes. Itachi could have been at a number of places, the first she would have guessed to be the dock where they spent a lot of time at as children. The next place she assumed him to be would have been the training field, assuming he hadn't been disqualified for whatever it was he did, he should have been training hard for the next trial of the chuunin exams. She stepped out onto the porch and placed a thin finger to her pink lips, tapping them lightly as she closed her eyes. Knowing Itachi he wouldn't be anywhere someone would expect him to be, that's just how he was. Always vague and completely inconsiderate of others. Her hand moved from her lip to her forehead and she shut her eyes to the bright light. Where would Itachi be least likely to go?

She snapped her fingers and smiled. Anywhere fun and full of people! First, Itachi hated fun and it just so happened he hated most people. The perfect combination, nobody would ever look there! "But if he doesn't like people or fun, why would he go there in the first place?" She asked herself out loud. With a pout she swung her arms round her torso and kicked at the air. Stupid Itachi always, without fail, had to ruin _everything._

"You look pretty stupid standing there talking to yourself you know." Hinamei blinked upwards, slowly turning her head towards the source of that condescending voice. "Looking for someone?" Her teeth grated together roughly and she snapped to her left with a twitch in her eye.

"Shisui, you're not helping." He took a step closer, his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his black pants and he answered with a smirk and a toss of his eyes.

"Did you want my help? Because I'm sure I'd have a better idea of where Itachi would be than you ever would." Hinamei bit back a retort, it was true that statement kind of hurt her. Surely Itachi and herself were on the same level of friendship Shisui and Itachi were. Before she answered Shisui pulled his hand from his pocket and swung a kunai round his pointer finger, brandishing it like some sort of ninja he pointed it towards the gates of the compound and grinned wildly. "This way my darling." She frowned but reluctantly stepped down from the porch. Shisui was naturally dramatic, everyone knew it but there was no doubt that as dramatic as he was he was twice as much a genius. She followed Shisui throughout town wordlessly, both looking up alleys and in buildings as they passed them. It wasn't until Shisui dropped his name again that Hinamei realized she had never told Shisui who she was planning to look for in the first place.

"How did you know I was going to look for Itachi earlier?" Hinamei asked as they passed a down trodden area of the village. Shisui looked over at her and gave an almost sad sort of smile.

"Rumors mainly, Kiashi told me about an hour ago that one of the Uchiha's had nearly killed his own teammate in the forest. I really only assumed it was Itachi considering he's one of the only Uchiha's who's worth talking about." The taller boy gave a snort and rolled his eyes. "Not to mention Itachi's so ready to fight I wouldn't be surprised if he _had_ killed his own teammate to win." The wind shuddered and Hinamei's hair swung round her head like a halo.

"I never knew Itachi could be so cold hearted. Surely he wouldn't actually kill someone, I mean, is it really that important to become a ninja?" It startled her when Shisui let out a cold bite of laughter. It was unlike anything she had ever heard come out of him. His eyes darkened and he looked at her with one side of his mouth tilted upwards.

"It's probably a good thing you dropped from the academy." Shisui halted and turned towards her, he took a step forward until his hands rested on her trembling shoulders. She hadn't realized how cold the air suddenly had become. His lips closed in close to her ear, "I've killed three men by myself, but Itachi, well, he's killed twice as many..." His cold voice reminded her of a snake and she felt herself go rigid as Shisui's fingers closed in closer to her skin. "Didn't you know, the Uchiha clan has their own _special_ test you have to pass before you can become a real shinobi. You think it's hard to kill someone with a weapon, well imagine doing it with nothing but your bare hands!" Shisui let go and Hinamei fell back onto her hands and looked up at Shisui with her mouth open in disbelief.

Not Itachi, that couldn't be true. Itachi had once told her the whole reason he wanted to become a ninja was to protect those he cared for. Not for murder.

Her eyes got even bigger when Shisui threw his head back and laughed, holding his hands to his ribs as he shook about, almost unable to contain himself. "I-I can't believe you actually believed that!" He pointed a finger at her face and Hinamei just blinked in response. "A special test? Really, how stupid can you be?" Shisui slapped a hand to his forehead and bent over laughing, tears prickled at the edges of his eyes and for the first time Shisui had actually left Hinamei dead quiet.

Honestly, she should have known better by now.

Shisui lent out his hand and smiled warmly at her, "you have to admit, it's funny." She took his hand and hoisted herself up, dusting off her legs as she stood she stuck her tongue out.

"I don't think it's funny at all. In fact, I don't think you're funny _ever. _It's sad really, you walk around laughing at your own jokes and everybody laughs with you because they just feel bad." She smirked and looked at him coyly from the side. "Itachi's funnier than you and really, I don't think he's ever said anything funny his entire life. You-" a high scream interrupted her as she was swept up in Shisui's arms and spun upside down.

"Take it back you brat! You laugh all the time at my stupid jokes!" Shisui laughed his musical laugh as he swung the much smaller girl around on his shoulder, laughing harder as she screamed and clutched onto his shirt desperately afraid to let go. Itachi watched them from his spot on the rooftop of the abandoned weapon shop, his chin rested against his knees and he never took his eyes off of the dark haired girl who couldn't decide whether to laugh or keep shouting. A cool breeze swept in from behind him, rousing his hair from the tie he had swept it up to. _What's wrong with me? _His fingernails dug into the exposed skin on his ankles and he closed his eyes, _what went wrong? _Shisui finally put Hinamei down and Itachi watched on as she stumbled dizzily until she fell and made Shisui laugh again. He couldn't take any more of this. Itachi stood up tall and watched as Hinamei regained her balance. Waiting until he made sure she could walk straight again until he flickered away into the closest tree line.

The forest was quiet and he slunk against a cool branch high in the trees and closed his eyes. And no matter how hard he tried not to think about today, it always came back and hit him tenfold.

* * *

Itachi's team consisted of two other people. There was Takami, a girl with vibrant red hair and special scouting techniques and a boy named Jin, a rapid hand to hand master. In order to complete this stage of the exam your team and yourself had to maneuver through the forest and obtain six different scrolls, all different from the next. If you did manage to obtain all six you then had to summon a key using your scrolls and unlock the gate out of the forest. It was simple enough, and they all had it made until the last scroll was sitting beneath the tree they were all crouched in. Below them stood a group of stone shinobi, holding the last scroll they needed to get out and finish the stage. "Uchiha," Jin looked over at Itachi and nodded towards the group. "Let me take these guys, you and Takami stay up here and wait for my signal to move ahead." Takami nodded and secured herself higher up to the next branch but Itachi shook his head hastily.

"I told you Jin, you're not getting another chance at this. Who had to clean up your last mess? You sit up here and I'll be back in three minutes." His scarlet eyes flashed at the green eyed boy and he set his hand down on the branch, preparing himself to pounce. Until a thin hand stopped him.

"I'm so sick of you Uchiha. Thinking you can order everyone else around like you do." His slate colored hair fell over his eye and he smirked, "It's my turn to show them you're not the only prodigy." With that being said Jin leapt backwards off the branch and pulled two kunai from his belt. He landed amongst the group of three shinobi, smirking as he did so, slid two of the kunai between his fingers and pinned two of them against a nearby tree by way of their sleeves. "You've got what I need," he eyed the center one devilishly and watched with amusement as the last shinobi pulled a kunai from his sleeve, fumbling awkwardly.

"Don't give it to him!" One shouted as he tried to dislodge himself from the tree. His sleeve tore and he looked to his left. His teammate had hit his head against the tree and now lie unconscious against the log. "Dammit," he hissed, unaware of the shadow falling towards him. Jin glanced up, his mouth bit back angrily between his teeth. Itachi landed gracefully on the boy's shoulders, weaved his fingers nimbly around the crook of his underarm and swiftly, flung him over in a loop. Itachi landed nimbly on his toes, watching as the other boy hit the ground loudly, a soft spray of blood leaving his lips.

"Itachi, what did-" Jin started, focusing his attention on the smug Uchiha, all the while unaware of the stone shinobi in front of him taking advantage of the situation. The ninja that still stood took the kunai from between his fingers and made a wide swipe, leaving Jin to jump back with hardly any time to spare. He stumbled backwards and looked down at the blooming line of red directly across his chest. The stone shinobi took another swipe and landed Jin a hard punch to his left eye, Jin staggered back even further with a cry.

"Shinobi rule number three, never take your eyes off of your opponent lest you're looking for a death wish. Idiot." Itachi crouched low, eyes a blazing scarlet and before the other nin could turn around Itachi had delivered a swift kick straight to the latter's spine. The boy spun loosely to the ground, a shrill scream escaping his lips as he curled on the ground, twitching. "You're lucky my eyes can see for the both of us." Itachi stepped over the boy he had just kicked and quickly unlatched the sixth scroll from his belt. "Takami, the scrolls. Now."

"You bastard! You could have gotten me killed!" Jin started, his fingers dabbed at the red spot, holding them up plainly for Itachi to see while his other hand covered his bruising eye. The latter paid no mind and instead grabbed the scrolls from the red head that had stormed down from the trees. Her eyes narrowed wordlessly as Itachi unraveled all six scrolls over each other in complex order. "Are you listening?"

"Unfortunately, but to be honest Jin it probably would have been for the best." He closed his eyes and weaved a fast signal and in a poof of air a key sat center on the scrolls. His eyes had returned to their normal dusty grey color and he gingerly placed the key into the pouch on his hip. "Look, it only took two minutes. You should be thanking me. Not to mention, we've got twenty minutes to spare till the time limit's up." Jin reached round his back pocket and quietly pulled a dagger out, his eyes glanced at Takami before settling on the Uchiha's back. "Nothing to say?" A smirk settled across Itachi's lip and he looked over his shoulder, his sharingan lit up like fire. "I hope you don't intend to hurt me with that."

"If my life means nothing to you, then why should yours?" Jin hissed, circling round Itachi till he faced him. "Answer me!"

"Well to be honest," Itachi pulled his own kunai out, brandishing it ahead of him with one eye closed. "It's because of who I am. An Uchiha, an elite shinobi with blood line limits your family could only ever dream of touching. I can see right through you and all I see is a joke. They put you next to me so that in comparison people could see my true power. An elitist next to a mere waste of breath. Face it, you have _nothing_ on me." Takami slapped her hands to her mouth and stumbled backwards.

"Itachi-san! Please, don't say such cruel things! He's done nothing to you!" Itachi whipped his head round his shoulder and snarled, bringing her to a shuddering halt.

"Don't even get me started on you! You pitiful excuse for a kunoichi, how they even let you graduate from the academy is beyond me! The only reason you're still alive is because you have a leech unwilling to stray from your side. Isn't that right, Jin?" The other boy yelled angrily, sprinting forth with his weapon thrust out in front of him, silver hair flung back as he darted only to shudder forward as Itachi swept underneath. With a smirk the Uchiha landed on one hand and used the force of his fall to bring one leg under Jin, sweeping his feet off the ground. The green eyed boy choked as he landed, sucking in air just as the dagger landed next to his cheek. A thin line of blood pearled out and swept under the crook of his ear. "Pathetic." Itachi's eyes flashed towards the cowering girl and he nodded. "Either you guys get out of this place with me or I go alone and you all fail." With one eye closed and teeth sharply grating against each other Jin looked up, ready to tell Itachi to not move but the Uchiha had already raced off.

"Dammit, Takami, help me please." The fiery girl bent down close to the ground and gently lifted up Jin's shirt. It wasn't a deep cut but it was wide enough that if he kept bleeding from it he would surely pass out. She bit back her bottom lip and pulled from her pouch a set of bandages, only to have them hit from her hand by Jin. "We don't have time for any of that! He's going to get out, without us! I didn't go this far just to be stranded halfway from my goal." His voice softened and he looked up into the large hazel eyes of Takami, "and I know you didn't either. Help me up, if we're fast, we might be able to catch him if we go now."

"R-right." As softly as she could she hoisted Jin up until he wobbled dangerously on his own two feet. The second fall had made him dizzy but he focused his attention on the tree line, determined to go. He took a sideways glance at Takami and grinned.

"Think you can keep up?" A small blush crept into her cheeks but nevertheless she nodded and braced herself to go. They both flickered off into a nearby branch until it became second nature again to pounce from tree to tree. Itachi smirked from where he stood, having been watching since Takami had helped Jin up. He wanted to know if Jin could really keep moving. If he wanted this bad enough to push himself. Part of him regretted what he said, it wasn't how he truly felt but that boy brought the worst out of him. He needed to prove himself one way or another, stopping at nothing and arrogance like that simply made Itachi fume. It was about time someone put him in his place. Itachi jumped to the next branch and began moving at his one pace towards the gate, as he had planned Jin and Takami would get there before him and would think he had gone without them. A small laugh left through parted lips and Itachi shook his head. And he had always thought that only Hinamei was this easy to pick on, he really should give her more credit. _I wonder how she's been doing,_ a small smile tugged on the corners of his lips and he looked up over the trees. It was a nice day out, he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke had drug her out of bed just to play. _He's probably driving her mad by now. _An ache in his chest brought him out of his small wonders, he wouldn't admit it but he missed both of them. Sasuke had finally gotten to that age where he admired every step Itachi took. Which was why there was no possible option of quitting or losing. He couldn't bear to not meet that boy's expectations. And where Hinamei was involved, Itachi bit down on his lip and his hands clenched, moving faster. He couldn't even begin to comprehend Hinamei, which was why it was so entertaining to keep her hanging around. Itachi grinned to himself.

Yeah, that was the only reason she was still there.

A small group of voices filtered in through the trees and instantly Itachi recognized Jin, and he wasn't in good shape. "That bastard! He meant it, he just left us!" Jin's fist slammed against the tall gate and he yelled louder. The gate was protected by a seal, you couldn't jump it or climb it. The only way out is if you have that one key that opens it and even that, it's a one time use key after it's been used it flies back in a cloud of air. Just like it came. Takami watched as Jin beat against the gate, tears prickled at her own eyes and hastily she wiped them away. Itachi had seen enough. He gracefully leapt from his branch, key between two slender fingers and he grinned cheekily.

"I might not like you but I wouldn't leave you in here like that." Takami sucked in a sharp breath and Jin turned around slowly, eyes like slits as he stepped forward.

"Are you blind Uchiha? Did you not see how you acted back there? You attacked me! Your own damn teammate! And you expect to just come down here and have us all praise you for the scum you are?" Itachi's grin fell away and in turn he looked through narrowed eyes at the boy. No one had ever spoken to him like that, it was so condescending and accusing, and he couldn't stand it.

"You attacked me first, what I did was merely out of self defense." He snidely responded, lowering the key and falling into an automatic crouch. Jin merely threw his head back and laughed.

"Self defense! I'm not stupid and neither are you Itachi! I pulled a dagger out but both of us know I didn't stand a chance. Is that what you want to hear? You're better than me, you're better than all of us," Jin's eyes fell to the ground. "But if it weren't for those eyes of yours, you'd be nothing. All you are is blessed with good genes, it's not fair and I refuse to accept it!" Takami's hands rushed to her eyes as both boys growled and Jin made the first move and rushed at Itachi. A clash of metal, a cry and then it was all silent. Gently, she peeked through two fingers and her eyes went wide, hands falling to her side.

"There is no excuse for attacking your own team mate," it was a tall man who spoke, his hair was dark and framed his face softly and his eyes were closed. "You," he opened a single dark eye and eyed Jin curiously. "What's your name?" Itachi froze, his eyes wide and darting back and forth between the two. The man that stood before them was no laughing matter, and for him to be a part of the exams shook Itachi's nerves, it didn't make sense.

His name was Uchiha Kai and he worked with Fugaku on the Konoha police force.

"Hiroshi Jin, but listen I didn't do anything wrong!" Kai held up a single finger and reopened both eyes, pointing his attention towards the other Uchiha with a smirk.

"Itachi-chan, is this true? Because from where I was watching it plainly looked like this boy attacked you. And don't forget," his sharingan lit up and he turned back towards Jin with a leer. "I could hear every thing you said, even yourself admitted you pulled a dagger out in battle." Jin's mouth hung open, he slunk back against the ground terrified and awe struck. "So what should your punishment be?" Itachi couldn't help but look away, he knew what was coming and he couldn't stop it. He never wanted it to go this far.

"You-you're an Uchiha?" Jin's deep green eyes flickered back between Itachi and Kai, widening as he did. "Itachi, tell him, please!"' Itachi opened his mouth to help the tender situation as much as he could but Kai held up a hand and tossed a warning glance at Itachi, all he could do was look away. Too weak to look Jin in the eyes.

"I've heard enough, your begging is disgusting. Hiroshi, as a proctor of the chuunin exams I hereby disqualify you for inappropriate conduct towards a team mate. Maybe next year you'll learn some respect." Itachi's eyes shot up and Jin's eyes had never been wider. Disqualified? It didn't make sense, it was a small duel, nothing more. But he didn't have time to think as Jin rushed towards Itachi with tears streaming down his face. His fingers wrapped around Itachi's shirt and Itachi couldn't move to stop him, he didn't have the heart at this point.

"Say something Itachi! Tell him!" Itachi's back hit against the fence and Jin shook him again. His eyes searched desperatly into Itachi's and yet, the boy refused to look at him. Itachi knew what he had done, sealed this boy's future and made a true enemy. "Itachi please!" Jin's voice cracked and Itachi shut his eyes until he saw white beneath his lids. He couldn't take it anymore. Itachi pushed Jin off of him only to have the boy's fist collide with the side of his jaw. Itachi's eyes opened wide and he choked on an intake of breath as he stumbled sideways. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted another instructor, this one was a woman with brown hair and furious pale blue eyes. She shot down beneath the tree and hissed at Kai.

"Don't just watch, do something!" She raced forward and pried Jin off of Itachi, Jin swung wildly around, missing his target and prying at the cold hands that held him still. Kai raced over to Itachi and his hand fell on his shoulder.

"Do you have the key yet?" Itachi nodded roughly, hoisting the key from his sleeve and dropping it into Kai's hand. The man laughed and dipped down. "Good boy." Kai raced to the gate just as the woman grabbed a hold of Itachi's arm to, Jin swung his arm over and clawed roughly onto Itachi's shirt.

"You coward, see what you've done!"

"Enough!" The woman called out and the gate flung open. She swung both boys and they fell against the ground, dirt flying up in a cloud around them. Jin was bleeding and his eyes were focused on Itachi, never straying.

"I don't care what they do to me, we all know that you and your dirty clan are nothing but filth to this village!" Jin's eyes flickered to Kai, who stood smugly watching the boy break beneath his gaze. Itachi crouched low to the ground, afraid to move. _Jin, stop talking! _He knew the more Jin talked ill of his clan the more Kai would have against the Hiroshi family, this didn't need to happen. It couldn't! But Jin continued, his rage getting the better of him. "It was unfair to let you in here, thinking you're so much better with those eyes, you're nothing but-" Itachi couldn't let him continue, he was going to get his whole family hurt. The Uchiha stormed upwards and dashed towards Jin with a kunai in hand. Eyes drilling into him so he got the point but Jin paid no mind, his eyes were dull and wide, frightened and hurt by the betrayal Itachi had committed.

"You wouldn't want to say anything you'll regret now, do you?" Itachi, as secretly as he could, gave a pleading look to Jin and flashed his eyes over to Kai. "Don't do this!" Itachi hissed under his breath and Jin finally closed his eyes. The older Uchiha dashed towards Itachi, who had let his weapon go just as Kai's hand wrapped around his wrist. He pulled Itachi over and bent down to his level, hissing dangerously.

"Keep acting like that and I won't be able to cover this. Just keep your mouth shut and we won't have to include Fugaku-san. Is that understood? You've passed already, stop while you're ahead."

But Itachi heard none of it as his eyes settled on Hinamei and Sasuke. Both frightened and concerned. All he could do was turn away, after all, how could he face them after what they had seen?

* * *

The sun was getting lower now, painting the sky a dusty burnt orange and as Itachi lifted his heavy lids he looked over the village and clutched at his chest. This didn't feel right and after seeing what Kai had done to his fellow teammate he couldn't help but question himself. Was he defending the wrong person? Was his praised clan really all that much to glorify?

His eyes settled on the tree to his left where he watched a mother bird bend over and coo at her babies. "Why can't everything be that easy?" He mused to himself quietly, almost hoping to fall asleep for three days and not be bothered. He couldn't face Takami again, especially not Jin. He knew, without even having to think about it, they would never forgive him.

He ran a small hand up his forehead and tangled it into his sleek back threads, musing with a groan. Would this damn day ever end?

"Ita-chan? Ita-chan is that you?" Itachi jumped and squinted under the branch, sighing as he understood he had finally been found. "Shisui it is him!" Hinamei gave a short wave and laughed, running closer to the bottom of the tree till her hands rested against the old bark. "Come down, we've been looking all over for you!"

Shisui stood against a twin tree, his arms crossed across his chest and that everlasting smirk plastered on his face. For a slight second Itachi grated his teeth. _Why are they so damn persistent? What have they got to gain from this?_ His fingers dug deeper into the midnight blue fabric of his shirt, feeling threads peel under his nails. None of this made sense.

"Itachi please, you don't know how much we've all missed you! And look," Hinamei dug deep into her pocket and held up a bright object, to which Shisui loudly snickered at. "I've got this for you, it's from Sasuke and it's kind of squished but I know how much you and your brother like these things!" Itachi's eyes relaxed and his hand fell slowly to his side, listening to their voices wasn't as irritating as he initially thought. In fact, it was almost comforting.

_Maybe that's why they keep trying._

"If you don't take it Itachi then I will, I've worked up one hell of an appetite looking for you, you know." Shisui yelled with his hands cupped around his mouth. Itachi looked back over the edge, swinging his feet around as he went and he smiled down at the two beneath him.

_Because they're my friends and maybe, they actually don't mind me the way I am._

"Fine, I'm coming. But Hinamei said it was for me so don't expect me to share it with you." Hinamei giggled, clutching the tomato close to her chest as she watched Itachi leap gracefully down from the branch and land just as elegantly in front of her. "Thanks I guess," Hinamei grinned and tossed him the fruit and even Shisui came up to him and tossed an arm round his shoulders.

The small girl shut her eyes, enjoying the small breeze that swept in from the south and wrapped around her. Itachi and Shisui walked ahead of her, talking and laughing as they usually did. It was then she realized that if things stayed the way they were, it would all be okay, just like Itachi promised her they would be.

Even if Itachi wasn't very good with promises, she had her fingers crossed.


	20. Love Notes

**A/N:** As you all wanted, here's some more of Itachi's soft side. But don't get to used to it, it won't last long...

And it won't let me center the title of the chapter anymore. So no pretty title :'(

* * *

Rain splattered up against old windows, smearing the glowing panes in beads of pale blue. The storm had come in around ten that morning and now, even at six that evening, it showed no signs of letting up. Hinamei sat in her mother's old room, untouched up until that night. A trash can stood at her left knee and in her right hand she clutched a small bag that was lost in the bottom of her closet until now. It took a while for her to work up the nerve to even enter her mother's old room but now that she was stranded alone in her old house she found no more excuses as to why she shouldn't. "She had so many pretty clothes, it's a shame she never wore any of them." The bed was covered in untouched dresses, some still with tags on them. Two piles were separated, a pile to give away and a pile to keep for when she grew into them. She rubbed between her fingers a silky material, the color of pale ice on a winter's eve. The kimono was spotted in white blossoms that gathered at the bottom and thinned out as they approached the hip. "I remember when Tou-san got this for her, she said she'd wear it all the time." Hinamei sniffed and dropped it in her pile. "He really should have taken her out more."

A clash of thunder shuddered the lights out for a second and she stilled, whimpering until the lights flickered back on. She hated sleeping alone, now that she had nearly adjusted to sleeping at Itachi's house every time she stepped into her house she felt that chill of loneliness that only her house gave her.

* * *

"I don't understand why you can't just sleep here," Itachi looked at her with one eyebrow raised as he pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. He sat on his bed while Hinamei fidgeted on the floor with a spare kunai Sasuke had been playing with. "You did it while I was gone, what's the problem?" He nudged her with his foot until she looked up and gave a sad sort of smile.

"What would Kaa-san think if she came home and realized no one was home? I bet she wouldn't be too happy." Her eyes strayed past Itachi's face, knowing full well the expression that had just overcome him.

"Hinamei-" he started but pinched his mouth and cut off his own words. With a shake of his head he let his hands fall, a sigh left his mouth and he slid off the bed till he sat next to Hinamei. "Just remember, if you want to come back don't hesitate." He looked away uncomfortably and fidgeted a kunai between his fingers. "I mean, I don't always have time to play with Sasuke, so he likes having you around."An awkward silence washed over them and both sat looking away from each other.

"Well I-"

"Don't you-"

Another awkward silence followed until Hinamei spun over and wrapped her thin arms around Itachi's neck. "Thank you Ita-chan, you really are a good friend even if you won't admit it." She pulled away from his neck and gave him a short kiss on the cheek to which he answered to with a short, 'hn'. "Anyways, I'm gonna head home. I'll try to come see you tomorrow if I'm not to busy alright?" She grinned and Itachi snorted in response, looking up at her as she stood.

"You don't have anything to be busy with, _stupid." _She waved her hand in dismissal and walked out of the doorway, grumbling as she did so. One day she was sure Itachi would learn to appreciate her. The walk home was quiet and as she looked up she couldn't help but notice the dark clouds rolling in over the mountains out north.

"Maybe I should have stayed, if the storm does come I don't know how I'll be able to sleep tonight." Her step broke into a run and she managed to get to her house within six minutes. Under the first shaking board of the porch was the spare key she never carried around, opening the door she stepped into the dark house, surrounded by nothing but dust and old memories. "Oh Kaa-san, please come home already." She shut the door behind her and slowly made her way to her bedroom. It was just as she had left it, the katana Shisui had given her lied flatly in the center of her bed, sheathed and covered in a thin layer of dust. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you," she sat down next to the tall blade and picked it up gingerly. "No one's had time to teach me how to use you, without them you're pretty much," she tossed it back down with a sigh. "Useless." She sat around her room tinkering for about an hour and a half till she found herself itching for some water. Slowly, she walked out of the room and into the hallway, throwing a short glance behind her.

Her mother's door was cracked open, just as it had been the last time she had touched it. When her mother had been home last. Hinamei glanced towards the kitchen before changing her mind and stepping towards the empty room. Her fingers trailed the peeling wallpaper, dragging with them a fine layer of dust as she walked. "You're not ever coming home are you." She said out loud as her eyes went out of focus. A blur of light crossed her vision and she blinked, clearing away the hot tears. "I miss you so much Kaa-san, and you too Tou-san. I'm sure you'd be proud of me if you were both still here." As she stepped towards the bed she caught sight of an old picture frame that had been carelessly tossed aside during her mother's rage. Her mother couldn't have been more than twenty and her father looked no younger than twenty five, in her mother's arms was a sweet faced baby with hair like chocolate and skin like snow. Her finger traced a line over her mother and she placed it back upright on the shelf. "I hope you guys are happy, wherever you might be now." A small smile found its way to her lips and she sunk back against the ruffled sheets. They smelled like dust and chamomile. As she hugged the blankets closer she found herself drifting farther and farther away from her body. Everything seems so much easier to handle when you're asleep, like nothing can harm you ever again.

Until the storms roll in and you're all alone.

She woke with a start to the sound of raging thunder, her body shot up stiff and a shrill scream escaped her mouth. Looking around as if someone had disturbed her she found herself still alone and she slunk back under the covers. Shaking with fright she held herself close, hoping one of the boys would come and check up on her. Who was she kidding, with weather like this no one in their right mind would be out on the streets. She made to turn the lights on, looking around her mother's old room and finally realizing it was a mess. The same as ever. "Well," Hinamei pulled her hair back into a quick bun, "I've got nothing better to do." After stifling a yawn she pulled the trash can from the kitchen into her mother's room, dug through her closet until she found a small bag to put keepsakes in and set off to work to clean.

She worked relentlessly until the storm got worse, the lights refused to stay on but still she persisted. All of her mother's drawers were open, one by one getting emptier as the minutes passed. Finally with a sigh, Hinamei crouched on the floor and swept the loose fringes of hair back that had fallen in her face. She never realized how much stuff her mother had till now. As she sat against the dresser she looked around, surveying the area as she did so she caught sight of a stack of folded papers loosely thrown under the bed. She wasted no time in diving under and retrieving all of them. As she opened the first folded piece of parchment she smiled, they looked like they were all love notes.

Her eyes skimmed the first piece of paper, her smile growing wider and wider as she did so until a peculiar piece of information caught her eye.

_"Tsukiyo, my dearest, I know this isn't what you wanted and I'm sorry that it's forever due to be like this but know I'll stop at nothing to make you happy. You can blame me all you like but remember that what happened was out of love, and I'd have it no other way. Don't listen to your father when he tells you what a mistake you've made, he knows nothing about us, nothing about love like we do. And whatever you may feel towards me just remember that I genuinely love you. More so than any other man ever could. And if you ever have any doubts just tell yourself, what we did wasn't bad. We did what any two lovers would do, and it will all be worth it the minute you see our baby's face for the first time. Your father will have us wed when he finds out, don't be scared it's all for the best and-"_

Hinamei put the letter in her lap, her eyes unmoving from the glossy windows. _They married, because of me? _She shook her head and tossed that letter aside, taking the next one in her hand she opened it feverishly and began reading.

_"Tsukiyo, you've been avoiding me. Is it something I've done or has your father said something to change your mind? I swore on my life I'd fix this but how can you expect me to fix anything when you won't even look me in the eye. As the days go by I can see you're not happy with what's happened to you, they're going to find out darling, you can't hide it forever. Shiska told me but a day before that your father had prior plans to marrying you off to another man, and that's why your father doesn't want me around you but I can't help that I love you so. You must tell him soon, before it's too late! I don't know what I would do if I lost you-"_

Frantically she reached for the third letter, opening it so fast the crease tore. Her eyes darted from left to right trying her hardest to understand.

_"You met him before you met me, I understand, I was only a distraction from the inevitable marriage you didn't want. Now look where you've landed yourself. I went to see your father today, I told him of the things we had done and the child you were burdened with. As I expected he threw me out, telling me he would die defending you and insisting the child was your new husbands. He told me to get out of your life, you know me, I have always respected your father but this is out of his power. Tsukiyo, what is it that you want? Leaving these letters underneath your window sill while you sleep is getting old. I need to know, are you still in love with me?"_

Shakily, she picked up the last letter and opened it. This changed everything.

_"As an Uchiha I've always felt strong and proud but now I'm here feeling lost because of you. This will be my last letter to you, I wish you and your new family a happy and long life, I will refrain from seeing my child but in return I'm leaving the village. I cannot bear to be here whilst she walks around calling another man father. So this is farewell my love, know that wherever I am my heart goes out to you. It always will despite how you may feel towards me. We were young and foolishly reckless, I hope you raise our child with better morals than we had. Don't come looking for me, I promise, you won't ever find me where you are again, my love._

_-Tashiro_

"W-what? _Tashiro? _Who is Tashiro?" Hinamei staggered upwards, her hands instantly rising to intertwine through her hair. "Kaa-san, what did you do?" Her voice became shrill and she bent over, breathing violently into her knees. "This can't be true, it just can't!" Without even thinking Hinamei ran to her room, she grabbed whatever her hand could clutch at and shoved them in a bag. It was impossible after finding out her father was not who she thought he was, she couldn't stay in this prison any longer. She grabbed the sword and made a makeshift holder to tie around her back and she stormed out through the front door, leaving the wind to throttle through the house. But she didn't care she had no intentions on coming back for a long while. The wind surged around her, making the rain like tiny bullets assaulting her delicate skin, but none of it mattered.

Nothing made sense anymore and at this point, she would gladly take the pain over nothing.

Her legs carried her throughout back alley ways, no one was out and she took this chance to yell and shout as she pleased. They wouldn't be able to hear her anyway. Her heart was breaking, everything she knew crumbled down around her and she was no longer able to decipher the lies from the truth. What else had her mother hidden from her, feeling like Hinamei wouldn't ever need to know. She worshipped the ground her father walked on only to find out that man was not her father at all! It wasn't fair! Loudly, she stormed up the three steps that led to Itachi's front door. She must have looked like a mess, hair matted down to her pale face, eyes tired and dark with exhaustion and hurt. But it didn't matter, she brought her fist down on the door as hard as she could. She made it to the third strike till the door flung open and she was faced with a very confused looking boy. "What-" Itachi began but was cut off as Hinamei raised her voice so the whole house could hear.

"I've changed my mind, I want to stay here!" Before Itachi could respond she dropped her bag and threw herself at him. Her arms weaving around his neck and pulling her wet body close to his warm one. "I've had the worst night Itachi, I'm sorry." She whispered into his neck as she sobbed. Itachi closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Not only did she interrupt dinner she had made him soaking wet along with her. But strangely, he couldn't bring himself to scold her like he normally would.

"Fine, but get off of me, you're getting water everywhere." He said quietly, turning around before he got a chance to see a flicker of a smile cross her face.

"Hina-chan!" Her dark eyes flashed up and she watched as Sasuke waved a chopstick around frantically, despite Fugaku's scolding he slipped from his seat and ran to greet her. "What're you doing here so late? Are you gonna play with me?" His mouth was upturned into a wide grin and she couldn't help but smile.

"Only if you finish your food!" She gave a nervous giggle and pushed him back towards the kitchen, feeling both Mikoto's and Fugaku's eyes drilling into her. Before they could talk she slipped from her wet shoes and ran down the hall towards where Itachi had headed. She found him in his room digging through a dresser. He picked up one blue shirt and shook his head, casting it aside and digging through more. "Thank you Ita-chan, I'm sorry to just burst in here like this. Your father must hate me."

"Trust me, their all quite used to it by now." Hinamei blushed and Itachi threw her a shirt and some shorts, both black and too small for him. "Get dressed and then you're going to tell me what's so important that you had to run through the rain to get here. Hurry up." With a huff Itachi left the room, sliding the door shut as he did so and leaving Hinamei to slide out of her wet clothes. How would she tell Itachi, normally he couldn't care less what upset her, just as long as she _didn't_ involve him. She took her time with getting dressed, nudging her stuff into the closest corner and brushing her fingers through her tangled hair. As she was finishing up with her tresses a steady knock intruded. Itachi didn't wait for an answer before he opened the door and glowered in. "Ready yet?" She stiffly nodded and scooted over towards his pillow, watching as Itachi seated himself across from her. The one thing she hated most about talks with Itachi is that she always got the impression he was judging her. She desperatly wanted to cry and let it all out but she knew Itachi's patience didn't stretch that far. He always wanted her to be brave and hard but she worried that this time she wouldn't be able to. Her fingers drummed against her knee.

"What would you do if you found out your Tou-san wasn't really your Tou-san?" She asked quietly, looking up through her long lashes carefully. Itachi blinked and then shook his head.

"What?" This was going to be more difficult than she needed it to be. She sniffed and looked away, how else could she put it without being blunt and careless with it. Even that pushed her to the edge. "I don't understand." As it was Itachi's patience was getting thinner, his voice was cold and he didn't relax his eyebrows at all so it seemed as if he was still glaring. But she wouldn't put it past him. With a sigh she continued.

"I found some letters that my Kaa-san had hidden away. They were from a man I don't know and they said he was my real Tou-san." She bit back her lip and looked back up at him. That did it, his eyebrows were upturned now and his glare had turned into confusion. "She lied to me Ita-chan. The man that died from the kyuubi, he wasn't my real..." her eyes drifted out and she looked away hurriedly. She couldn't cry, not now. Not while Itachi was still looking. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this." But something happened then that she never expected. Itachi's small hand reached over and gently, he placed it atop hers. And when he spoke, it was warm and comforting to hear.

"If you want to cry then cry. I won't look." She slowly looked up. Just as he had said his eyes were focused on the opposite wall, blinking and trying hard not to look at her. "If it helps you at all ask yourself, who was more of a father to you? The man you never met or the man that was always there for you? Should it really matter that much?"

Any second now he should burst into flames, his heart was sure to melt with as nice as he was being. She blinked the tears away and put a finger to her lip. Now that he put it that way it made a little more sense. A small smile relinquished itself and she placed her other free hand atop Itachi's. "W-why are you being so nice to me?" Carefully, Itachi turned his attention back towards her, frowning as he did so.

"I'm not being nice, I just don't want to listen to you cry anymore." His eyes got wide when he realized his words had no impact and he looked away, pulling his hand back and crossing it over his chest. "You're annoying." But her smile told him he had already lost and given himself away.

"Thank you Itachi. That helps more than you know." Hinamei smiled sweetly and stood up, leaving the room just as Sasuke ran down the hall exclaiming he was done with dinner. He took Hinamei's hand and pulled her into his own room. Itachi sat on his bed and listened in, curious as to why she was so dependent on him being there for her. And why he didn't mind as much as he used to. The boy leaned back until his head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes. It didn't make sense at all.

"Will you sleep in here with me? Nii-san doesn't like to, he says I talk too much." Sasuke turned his bright eyes up towards Hinamei and clenched his fingers tighter around her hand. "Please." She couldn't help but give in. Sasuke talked her into playing till his bed time and he whined until Hinamei followed suit and went to bed early. Neither of them had seen Itachi since Hinamei spoke with him. The wind spun around the house, beating against the windows loudly. Apparently, it was easy for Sasuke to overlook the noise as he fell asleep nearly twenty minutes into the night. Hinamei lay against the cool grey pillow and hummed to herself. Despite what Itachi may have told her, the fact that her mother lied to her was the biggest open wound of all. The more Hinamei found out the more her mother looked less and less human. The glass rattled and Hinamei looked up at the windows startled, sleep needed to come soon.

Itachi lay awake in his bed, eyes transfixed on the ceiling above him. By now the house was quiet, save for the storm outside, everyone else was asleep but him. The third part of the chuunin exams were coming up, it would be his only chance to excel and take charge and become the shinobi he had worked so hard to be. Not only that but Shisui had recently become involved with the ANBU, trying his hardest to convince Itachi to join to. His mind flitted back to the silver haired captain, he had told Itachi to come when ready. Aside from that, he didn't need to be told he met all conditions. Itachi turned on his side and closed his eyes, unable to shake the feeling still that Jin's eyes were boring holes into his back. And Kai, feeling as haughty as to use Itachi's last name as reason to defend him. It made him sick. Tomorrow he was going to have to meet up with his team, or what was left of it anyway. He almost dreaded seeing his sensei, Jin had always been his favorite. Itachi's eyes shot open and he furrowed his slender brow, apparently he wasn't the only one awake at this late hour. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, slowly inching towards his doorway. As he opened the door his room lit up with lightning followed by a clash of thunder close by. A small frown quivered on his lip as a small shaky scream came from Sasuke's room. "Hinamei?" He creeped in through the doorway and saw Hinamei curled up under the blankets, shaking every time thunder rang throughout the house. "Are you crying?"

A small voice came from under the covers. "I didn't wake you did I Ita-chan? I'm sorry." Another bang and she held herself closer. Itachi looked behind himself, irritated. He couldn't exactly leave her like this could he? With another sigh he crept up to her bed and gently pulled the covers up to peek under. Her face was wet and her eyes were clenched shut.

"It's just thunder, it's not anything to be afraid of." He said softly, laying a single hand on her quivering shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at him pleadingly.

"You don't understand," was all she said and her eyes fell back shut as the room glowed blue with electricity. Itachi mumbled something before slipping himself under the covers beside Hinamei, wrapping his arms round her shoulders to stop her shaking. "Will you stay?" She mumbled into the sheets. Itachi's eyes looked out the window, the storm wasn't letting up anytime soon.

"Just this once, next time though you have to learn to be brave." She nodded exuberantly and scooted in closer to Itachi's body. Her head rested upon his chest and she grasped at his shirt like he could slip away at any moment. All these storms did was remind her of her mother. All alone and frightened. She always hated storms too, so much that when her father wasn't home her mother would crawl into bed with Hinamei and just hold her close. Like there was a special reason to be afraid. "Nothing's going to hurt you Hinamei, you're all right now." His hand gently stroked the back of her head and he shut his eyes. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long while.

Hinamei woke up to the sunlight creeping in over her face, slowly she rubbed her eyes awake and sat up. Itachi was already gone. "He stayed with me," she smiled to herself thinking that maybe she had finally gotten through to him. A soft knock came from the doorway and she looked up alarmed.

"Good, I'm glad you're awake. Feeling better?" Mikoto asked, smiling as Hinamei nodded in response. "There's somewhere I want to take you today, I think you need some place to go to get your mind off things and I know just the place for that! Get dressed, I'll have some tea for you at the table when you come out." Mikoto left and Hinamei sat staring at the door. Itachi and Sasuke were both so lucky to have such a caring mother, stupid Itachi took things for granted way too often. She hurried to get dressed, throwing on a grey and blue sun dress since the sun was hot and it looked like it was here to stay. After brushing out her hair she rushed into the kitchen where Mikoto and Sasuke sat at the table. "Itachi told me what happened, I hope you don't mind." Her large doe eyes looked at Hinamei softly, hoping not to strike a nerve. But Hinamei just shook her head and smiled.

"It's alright, and I'm sorry to have burst in your house like I did. I promise, I'll be more considerate." She waved her hand in dismissal and made it known that she didn't mind. After tea and breakfast the three of them headed out, among the hustle and bustle of the new day.

"Are you going to be living with us Hina-chan?" Sasuke asked as they walked throughout the village. Hinamei gave a small shrug in reply and looked up.

"Maybe for a small while. It all depends really."

"On what? Don't you want to live with us?" Her mind instantly flashed to Itachi and she could feel her cheeks get warm. All of sudden she had a new surge of feeling towards the Uchiha boy, something she couldn't quite place and she didn't know if she liked it or not.

"Of course I do but that's not really my place to decide." Sasuke turned back around and mumbled something. Something that sounded an awful lot like, _'Nii-san would be sad if you didn't.' _She frowned at Sasuke's back and reminded herself she needed to get Sasuke off her back. All this talk about Itachi liking her made her nervous and uneasy. Itachi didn't like anyone and reasonably, it probably should stay that way. Five more minutes and Mikoto stopped at a small store, Sasuke tore away and ran excitedly across the street into a shinobi tool shop, giggling as he went.

"Don't mind him," Mikoto said as she entered the store. Hinamei glanced up and read the sign, her heart swelling as she did so. It read, 'Yamanaka Flower Shop' and it held every type of blossom you could think of. "Ohayo Ayashima," she bowed to a thin, blonde woman around her age. The woman bowed back happily. With her hand behind Hinamei she walked the small girl ahead and beamed, "this is Hinamei, the girl I was telling you about." The platinum woman bent down and ruffled Hinamei's hair. "Is today a good day?"

"No better day. After all that rain people are out looking for a bit of a day brightener. We should be busy." She grinned and stood up tall, grabbing a smaller apron from a rack close by. "Here, put this on Hinamei." As confused as she was she was happy to oblige. The shop smelled wonderful and the woman Mikoto had called Ayashima seemed like a walking ray of sunshine. Mikoto said goodbye with a quick kiss on the forehead and went off to fetch Sasuke from the nearby shops. Leaving just Hinamei and Ayashima to themselves. "Mikoto tells me you need a bit of a distraction, I've heard your Itachi-kun's fiancé, is that right?" Hinamei nodded shyly and the woman continued on freshly. "I'm sure he's busy with the chuunin exams and all. So what better way to keep you occupied than to work. And trust me," she bent down and winked. "There's no better place than here. I've got to cut some flowers out back but I'll have Ino come in here and show you around. She's a bit of a loud mouth but I'm sure you can handle her. Ino, come in here please!" At first Hinamei expected someone around her age to come out but instead she blinked awkwardly at the platinum pixie that bolted out from behind the store door. _She can't be much older than Sasuke-kun! _"Ino dear, show Hinamei around the shop, get her started for the day will you. She's our new employee."

Like mother like daughter, Ino took but two seconds to take Hinamei by the hand and start babbling. Ayashima had already disappeared behind the door. "I'm glad you came in here today, it's been getting real boring with all this stupid rain we're having. So what's your name? You look familiar, have I seen you somewhere before? Are you a kunoichi?" Ino turned on her heel and blinked up happily, her hands held under her chin like she was waiting for something. Hinamei, not knowing where to start simply answered with a faint 'uh' but was quickly cut off with Ino's speech again. "I'm going to be a kunoichi one day, just wait. Are you Sasuke-kun's sister? You look an awful lot like him you know." Her eyebrows twitched and she sighed, not knowing how much longer she could stand to be around the child. _And Itachi says I'm annoying?_

"No, I'm definitely not his sister. I look like him because we're both of the Uchiha clan. We all kind of look the same now that you think about it, eh?" She tapped a finger to her lip and then looked down, the girl was practically beaming at her. "What?"

"Does that mean you know Sasuke-kun? He's so cute don't you think?" Hinamei gave a nervous laugh and looked away, quickly wanting to bring the conversation to a halt.

"Aren't we supposed to be doing something?" This seemed to work. Ino slapped two small hands to her face and darted off to retrieve two watering cans. Dragging them both back over she giggled and pushed one closer to Hinamei.

"I'll get the lower row, since you're taller you can get the higher ones. After this I'll teach you how to pick the dead flowers out, alright?"

Mikoto wasn't kidding at all when she said 'occupied'. Hinamei sighed and picked up the pail with ease, following down the line she made sure each one was carefully filled. It took less than ten minutes to water them all and she smiled happily when finished. She had never had a job before, it was almost invigorating when she thought about it. She spent the rest of the day with Ino, picking through dead flowers, trimming thorns and wrapping bouquets and finally when the store shopped closed Ino came back and wrapped her thin arms around Hinamei's legs. "You'll come back tomorrow right?" The pixie looked back at her mother who was locking up the shop before turning back with a grin and whispering quietly, "and bring Sasuke-kun with you!" Ayashima smiled broadly as she advanced, scolded Ino for evading other's spaces and placed a hand on Hinamei's shoulder.

"You have no idea how nice it was to have you here, you'll be here tomorrow right? After the week is done if you still like it we can talk about making this a full time job." Hinamei beamed and bowed deeply, thanking her endlessly. The sun was gold on the horizon as they said their goodbyes and she started home. The day seemed to go by so much more quickly and to be honest she felt lighter than she did yesterday. It was only normal she run all the way to Itachi's house with a smile on her face. As she approached she saw Itachi and Sasuke sparring in the front yard, it was interesting, she had never really seen Sasuke fight before. Truth be told, he wasn't that bad. Itachi kicked Sasuke's feet out from under him and laughed when he landed.

"How did you not catch that one? Come on Sasuke, get back on your feet." Sasuke made to stand up till his eyes flickered to Hinamei and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hina-chan, you're home!" Itachi whipped around and gave a half sort of smile. Sasuke waved and Itachi dived in to take him down. "Nii-san, I wasn't ready!"

"Shinobi don't tell their enemies to wait during battle. You should have said something." He ruffled his hair and glanced as Hinamei approached. "Kaa-san told me you have a job now."

"We'll see by the end of the week, but so far it's wonderful. I come home smelling like flowers and get to meet all kinds of interesting people. Speaking of," she grinned and bent in lower towards Sasuke. "A little girl named Ino-kun talked about you an awful lot today, she told me that you're a cutie and told me to give you this." From her apron she pulled out a small budding tulip. Sasuke took it with a frown.

"She's annoying, Hina-chan don't encourage her." He tossed the flower aside and glowered up at his brother. "Besides, when I become a ninja I'll have no more time for girls. Not even you Hina-chan, sorry." She replaced her smile with a frown, taking her apron off as she wandered up to the porch. "Right Nii-san?" Her eyes flickered towards Itachi and he smirked, making sure she saw.

"Right Sasuke, no time for annoying girls who talk too much." She stuck her tongue out and leaned back against her hands. The sun was setting faster now but that didn't stop the brother's from sparring with each other. "Oh, Hinamei?" She looked over with wide eyes, "Shisui told me to tell you that he's gotten some free time off this month. He'll be over next week to teach you how to use that katana of yours."

"Really?" Hinamei hopped up and grinned, pumping her fists down by her side. "About time, that thing's been getting pretty dusty!"

"I told him to not even bother though, that he'd be dead and gone with by the time you learned how to pay attention to anything." He snorted and Hinamei stuck her tongue out.

But even she couldn't dismiss the grin that touched at her lips.


	21. The Final Trial

Chapter Twenty:

"The Final Trial."

* * *

The day had finally come. Itachi stared at the line up in his hand and smirked. He had this one down, no problem. His opponent was one he'd seen in the forest already, a shinobi from the grass named Yahshimi Zakuzu. His statistics showed top ranks in every category but Itachi had enough confidence he'd have this one finished in five minutes. He was due to go out third, after that he concluded he'd get his deserving chuunin rank and then continue on to the ANBU headquarters where he knew Kakashi and Shisui would be waiting. His eyes grazed his fellow leaf ninja, Takami stood three ahead of him and since that day hadn't made eye contact once with him. But that was the least of his worries, he wasn't about to apologize. From the stand he was at he could see his family. Sasuke was standing at the bar, feverishly watching as the two ninja down below headed off. He scanned the area until his sights fell on his father. Like always Fugaku had his arms crossed tightly over his chest, eyes glued to the stadium floor. Itachi's fist clenched, meeting his father's standards would be no problem. Especially after the conversation they had that morning.

* * *

"Itachi, come here for a minute." The boy looked up from his pamphlet and nodded, sitting across from his father he looked him in the eye. All seriousness. "Your battle today, I know you've been training and I know you'll do well. I'm looking forward to seeing you win. Shisui tells me your looking to join in the ANBU ranks. Where did that come from?" Itachi broke contact and instead focused on a fringe hanging from the chair.

"It's been my plan for awhile, I was planning to speak to you about it but I felt you were too busy to discuss it with me earlier. I've already spoken with them and they all feel my abilities would best be put to use there. Don't you agree?" Fugaku nodded, still staring at his son.

"You do realize what work you'll have to put in to keep up with the rest of them, don't you? You're young still and naive to what it truly takes to be a shinobi. But I have faith in you, you've managed to live up to every standard of mine so far." His father shifted, finally turning his eyes away from the boy before he continued. "And you know that doing this will be stressful. I know you're aware that despite your studies and missions you'll still have to keep up with the clan's committee and their wishes." Itachi narrowed his eyes only slightly, his fist clenched.

"I understand," dark eyes flickered upwards, "I'll do my best to keep up with everything. To the best of my abilities." Fugaku narrowed his sights in and smirked, challenging Itachi.

"What about that girl? You'll have less time for her as well. What will she do while you're away? Tell me, does she plan to stay here until you can afford to support her?" His breath halted and he unclenched his fist. He had known all along that Hinamei would slip more out of the picture. It was something he tried to avoid thinking about. As it stood, he hadn't told her he was planning to get involved with the ANBU. Not that she would understand what it meant. But leaving her to stay at his father's house alone, he knew she wouldn't stand for that either. Itachi said the first thing that came to mind, knowing Hinamei hadn't the slightest idea.

"I've spoken with her already, after the trials she plans to return to her house. She's making a steady income at the floral shop. She'll manage." Even as he spoke his heart sunk. Hinamei hated that house, all the heavy memories that it carried along with it. She was going to hate him after today. "And she knows she'll see less of me. Things are changing, she's not an idiot, she understands what this means."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. I hope this fares well for you today. We'll all be watching, I expect nothing less from my son but success. That's all Itachi."

Four hours later and he still hadn't seen her. He made a mental note to address the matter with her when he next saw her. Knowing she was working until the final trial started it would have to wait till afterwards. "Itachi, are you ready for this?" The Uchiha broke his sights away from the stadium to look at the boy next to him. He was three years older than Itachi with a shock of white hair and blue eyes, and he was scared out of his wits.

"There's nothing to be ready for, I've been preparing for this for three years." The boy slunk back, intimidated by the young boy. His eyes flashed back to the stadium, Hinamei should have been there by now. But with as many people as he saw not one of them looked to be _his_ Uchiha. Down below the proctor called out the winner and two medic nin came onto the field and carried away the unconscious victim. One more battle and the floor would be all his. Five minutes into battle and he switched his direction back towards the people. His teeth edged together, where was she? Angrily, he turned back to the floor. Why should he matter if she showed or not? It took nothing away from him at all, regardless if Hinamei showed her daunting face or not he'd still win this.

"What are you waiting for?" He snapped his head back at the white haired boy, his eyes blazing with anger at his own thoughts.

"What did you say?" The boy motioned forward and Itachi realized he had missed his cue, the second match had already finished and his opponent stared haughtily up at him. "Dammit," he growled to himself. Hinamei wasn't even there and she was distracting him! Itachi jumped over the railing and landed center floor, his eyes dark and narrow as he was sized up by the grass nin.

"Little boy, are you scared or something?" The nin was a good four years older than Itachi and stood an intimidating foot taller than the Uchiha. His hair was a dull olive color and his eyes darted back and forth like he was always ready for an attack. Over his mouth and nose he wore what looked like a small gas mask. But as far as Itachi was concerned this boy didn't even deserve a comeback. "I promise, I'll try not prolong your death. But don't count on that." He sneered and Itachi clenched his hands.

"Shut up already, I don't want to listen to your _moronic _drabble!" The boy's eyes widened in surprise before he huffed with a laugh. Itachi took that chance to glance up at the stadium once more. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Stepping through the entry doorway of gate number three stood Shisui, guiding a very sweet looking Hinamei in front of him. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun that allowed the shorter pieces to frame her round face. The spring time peach dress she wore wavered in the breeze and she laughed, right before she settled her eyes into the rink and delivered that smile of hers to Itachi as she waved happily. _Finally, took you long enough Shisui._ Her eyes widened and she clutched onto Shisui's shoulder desperatly. "Hm?" But before Itachi could fully respond Zakuzu's fist collided with his jaw and he staggered back, shell shocked.

"Don't worry kid, everybody's already watching!" Itachi glowered, wiping the point of impact on his jaw he stood tall, fists firmly at his side.

"You're right, my mistake." He closed his eyes firmly for a second and reopened them with a grin, scarlet eyes blazing into Zakuzu's smug face. "Let's give them a good show." Crouched low, Itachi ran towards the other nin, darting to his left and right before he leaped up and brought his fist down into Zakuzu's face. The boy fell back into the ground hard, his hand secured over the bridge of his nose while his eye twitched in pain.

"You're faster than I gave you credit for," he said through his hand before angrily casting it aside "But it won't catch me off guard again." In a second he was back on his feet, crouched and ready for Itachi's next move. Each shinobi sized the other up, waiting for whoever was going to strike next. "I'll finish this fast!" From his sleeve, Zakuzu brought down six senbon needles, three secured between each hand. "In my village, we work hard to harvest a rare plant called the Talali Milkweed blossom, when it's finally ready to bloom it secretes a lethal juice that can permanently paralyze its victim if it enters the blood. And that's all it will take to bring you down. Plus, mixed with my chakra, this needle will hit you with twice the force and it will spread throughout your body even faster!" He darted to the left and from the first hand, flung three needles at Itachi. In response the Uchiha grinned and with his sharingan secured on the needles he easily pounced out of the way.

"Is that the best you can do?" But he spoke to soon as the other boy flickered in back of him and flung the last three. _I've only seen Shisui move that fast!_ His feet hadn't even hit the ground yet when the first needle pierced the back of his hand. He dodged the rest before skidding back and pulling the posion needle from his skin. _I've got to get this venom out of me now! _Already he could feel his hand going numb. The grass nin crossed his arms and laughed, amused at Itachi as he pulled a kunai out from his hip pouch.

"Are you going to attack me with that thing? Don't bother, the milkweed venom will have you still within the next ten minutes. But if it makes you feel better I'll stand real still for you." Itachi's eyes narrowed and he jammed the tip of the kunai firmly into the back of his hand, bending it sideways, he stretched the wound till it tore. "What?" With the wound open Itachi stuck his mouth firmly to the wound and sucked, he could taste the venom as it filled his mouth. The grass nin staggered back, blinking in disbelief. "Are you stupid! You'll hit a nerve doing something like that!" To answer, Itachi spat the blood ridden venom from his mouth and concentrated on his hand. Any source of the chakra riddled venom was gone and he smirked, blood still oozing from his mouth. He clenched his hands around the kunai and brought his hand up, charging as he threw the kunai with full force. Zakuzu dodged the attack barely, it skimmed his shoulder, cutting through the fabric and leaving a small cut that pearled a small line of blood down his arm. "You missed." Itachi stood up straight and looked him directly in the eye, dripping with confidence.

"No, I didn't. That was the same kunai I used to open my wound, its tip was covered in your venom. The same venom that is slowly leaking into your blood stream as we speak. Throw some new tricks at me, whatever the case, by the end of this match you'll never use that arm again." Zakuzu's eyes snapped open and he slapped a hand to his arm, catching the blood on his finger he brought it up to his face.

"Y-you bastard!" The grass nin snarled, hurling himself at the younger boy. Itachi was prepared however and jumped back, moving his hands at incredible speed he pinned his two fingers over the other and raised it to his mouth in a circle.

"Fireball jutsu!" A flash of flames and the boy was consumed, or so he thought until the flames subsided and a charred log lie in the center of the rink. _A substitution, how could I not see that?_ Itachi snarled and wheeled around, backing just as Zakuzu was coming down from above, a kunai secured in his hand. The boy landed where Itachi had just stood, his weapon lodged deep into the dirt. He never imagined he would see another person manage speed almost as well as Shisui did. Rage flickered over the grass nin's eyes and he threw the kunai down in a fit.

"You don't realize what you've done to me! My entire life, you've ruined it!" With a snarl the boy spread his feet apart and crouched. "I have no other choice but to use this on you, who would have guessed I'd have to succumb to this for a scrawny child like yourself." From his pouch he pulled out a thin scroll, crouching on the ground he snapped it open and put his hands together. "You'll regret this move, just you wait! Our village regards this flower as a forbidden tool, but as you've managed to ruin every goal I ever had within three minutes I'm sure they'll understand." He moved his hands quickly, summoning the blossom and in a small cloud of smoke a very peculiar flower lie center on the scroll. Its deep purple petals crawled over each other, almost like it was alive. Itachi narrowed his eyes and growled. Through his sharingan he could see a blaze of _something_ emanating from the flower, something not good. Zakuzu took his finger and clicked a small button on the side of his gas mask and with inhuman speed he shot up with the flower in his hand and threw it into the air. His hands quickly folded and he said something in a language Itachi could not understand.

But that was the least of his problems now. The flower pulsed and with it pollen exploded from its center. Every bit pulsing with that same awful energy. It showered above the Uchiha and his eyes widened. _It's in the pollen! If I breathe that into my system I'm dead for sure._ His eyes flickered to Zakuzu's gas mask, of course, it all made perfect sense. Thinking as quickly as he could he understood the thing had to have a space range it could spread, after all it took a hand sign to activate. But with as much time as he had left he didn't have time to figure it out. Itachi yelled with frustration before clasping his hand quickly over his mouth and nose. Time was running out, if he didn't kill Zakuzu in under a minute he'd have no chance of escaping. Itachi lunged at the boy who at this point had caught on to the Uchiha's plan and dodged out of the way of Itachi's fist. He landed the hit on the ground and scanned upwards, straining his eyes. He could be faster if he tried harder, his sharingan focused on Zakuzu and ran again. Catching his movements, Zakuzu slowed down in Itachi's sights. But it still wasn't enough, the boy was still too fast for him to catch. He had one option left. Itachi jumped upwards, watching the poison cloud shift in the breeze as he did and carefully avoiding it's perimeter. His hands weaved a sign and quickly he produced two clones. All three Itachi's fell to the ground and crouched. His chest ached and he closed one eye, knowing that if he took one breath that was the end. The first Itachi weaved to the right and the second to left. The last one darted forward and Zukuzu laighed loudly.

"You think I can't tell which one is the real you? Both clones darted to the side of me, which means you're the one coming at me!" Zakuzu grinned from beneath the shelter of his mask and whipped a kunai out. With as much force as he could muster he threw the kunai straight at Itachi.

The kunai passed through his head and clattered to the ground behind him, two clouds of smoke appeared and both clones were suddenly gone. Zakuzu opened his eyes wide in realization, the real Itachi darted in back of him, kunai held directly in front of him. It was flawless. Itachi whipped the blade upwards, cutting straight through the clasp that attached the gas mask to his face. With a snap the elastic rebound and the mask fell from his surprised mouth. Out of surprise, Zakuzu gasped, inhaling his own venomous cloud. Instantly, his eyes went dull and through the light of the sharingan, Itachi watched as the cloud of poison dissipated away. The Uchiha fell to his knees gasping for breath just as Zakuzu's stiff body fell to the ground. The proctor eyed Itachi curiously as he struggled to regain his breath and figuring the Uchiha had made it clear the poison had passed he jumped back down into the stadium floor. He nudged the body with his foot and looked up, "the winner of this match is Uchiha Itachi." Through one eye Itachi looked back up, still breathing heavily. He spotted the one person he cared to find and smiled, letting out a small laugh as he breathed. Hinamei was standing up on the bench with her hands clapped over her mouth and even from where he kneeled he could tell she was crying.

"Cry baby," Itachi closed his eyes and struggled to stand. It was all over now, things were going to be okay. For a slight second he had actually doubted himself but like he had known the whole time he had won. Not as well as he would have liked but nevertheless, his opponent was dead. Slowly he made his way towards the stairs that led up to the second level, on his way he passed the nervous looking boy from before. Itachi smirked and looked him in the eye, enjoying as the boy flinched away from his sights. "You'll do fine." Uneasily, the boy smiled and as soon as he passed Itachi he darted out onto the floor. So maybe he had won in a better way than he had originally thought. Itachi ran up the rest of the stairs, that had taken longer than he had thought, if he didn't hurry he was going to be late. He slid the exit door open and came to a sudden halt. On the other side of the door waited two people, the first was Shisui who coolly rested against a tree with a look that was smug and sarcastic as always. The second person Itachi didn't even have time to consider before she wailed loudly and threw herself at the stiff boy.

"Don't ever do something like that, _ever again!_" Hinamei pulled back and sniffed, wiping away the tears the escaped. "You had me so scared Ita-chan, I really thought that guy had gotten you!" Itachi scoffed and waved her away.

"Right, like I'd really let a flower be the death of me." Shisui snorted and Hinamei blinked, shaking her head in dismissal. She was just happy to have him back. Itachi looked over at her and smiled and then did something neither of them ever expected. He grabbed Hinamei by the arm and pulled her into a tight hug, his nose falling into the crook of her neck. Truth be told, he genuinely thought he was reaching his end. And as much as he refused to acknowledge it, his mind had flashed instantly to Hinamei. Leaving her was _not_ an option. For once Shisui had nothing to say. His mouth fell agape before he pulled himself together and smiled, looking away. Like he hadn't seen this coming sooner or later. Hinamei on the other hand fell stiff, her eyes as wide as they had ever been. Itachi, hugging her? It wasn't possible. But she quickly recovered and took it for what it was, knowing she probably wouldn't see it again for another ten years or so. Her arm wrapped tightly around the Uchiha boy and her fingers dug into his shirt. "Thank you Hinamei." He whispered so only she could hear. After all, his pride still prohibited him from admitting anything in front of Shisui. In response she nodded, knowing she'd really be sorry if she had acknowledged him out loud. He pulled away with a sigh and he adjusted his headband and stared at Shisui. "We really need to hurry, they'll all be waiting at this point."

Shisui held his hands up in defense and grinned like a cat, "if you've finished up here, let's go." Hinamei didn't catch his tone but Itachi did and he delivered a quick warning glare to the older boy.

"Wait, where are you going?" Hinamei asked suddenly, wheeling around on her heel. "Already? But Ita-chan you just got out." Her mouth quirked and Itachi found himself unable to look at her. Shisui stood up and brushed himself off, he glanced from Itachi to Hinamei and frowned.

"You mean you haven't told her yet?" Itachi peeked up at him and gave a knowing stare. Of course he hadn't, Shisui knew as well as Itachi did how Hinamei would fare hearing something like that. "Hinamei, we'll be back tonight. We'll explain everything then. Go practice or something." Shisui nodded at Itachi and he darted off down the road in a flicker. Hinamei's large doe eyes looked up, her eyebrows upturned in confusion and settled on Itachi's pale, placid face.

"Just go," she turned away from him and kicked at the dirt, "I understand it's your job to always be busy." At first he hesitated but as she looked back over her shoulder he knew he couldn't handle it then. He flickered off behind Shisui without another word.

* * *

"This is a bit harsh don't you think?" Shisui asked one of the captains as he watched through a window as Itachi take another fist to the face. When they had arrived everyone was waiting impatiently but understood when Itachi explained. After weeks of planning this all that was left was the mock battle to see if he could handle a high stress situation without fail. The papers had all been signed and his uniform had been handed over to him. Shisui winced as Itachi was flung to the ground by a man two times his height.

"He's young, are you sure this was a good idea?" A man with glasses turned towards Kakashi, his eyebrows turned up in confusion.

"Shisui, what do you think? Can Itachi handle this?" Kakashi glanced over at Shisui and the latter looked back out the window. Itachi stood up, blood dripping from his mouth. His sharingan pulsed and he rushed forward, delivering a hard strike to one shinobi's chest. The man stumbled backwards and Itachi took the opportunity to sweep in under him and kick out his legs. He had a kunai to his throat in the blink of an eye. Shisui gave a firm nod and closed his eyes to the battle.

"I haven't got a doubt in my mind about him. Itachi's good, better than some of you." His dark eyes flickered up to the man with the glasses and he smirked. "Besides, he's got that hot Uchiha blood in him. Nothing can stop him now, he'll get this position even if it kills him. After two months of intense training he'll be a natural." With a wave of his hand he lifted his voice, "I bet he'll surpass even me."

Inside the room Itachi was backed up against a tree, his eyes darted from left to right, he was surrounded. With a lithe pounce he landed on the branch above him and pulled four shuriken out of his pocket, almost instantaneously he threw them and hit target. All three men staggered back with their hands to their chests. Itachi pounced down from his branch, delivering a swift kick to the first man and quickly spinning to round kick the second man. Both fell to the ground unconscious. "You'll have to try a lot harder than this," he hissed and quickly darted in behind the third man and he swung his fist straight to the man's lower back. With an aching scream the man keeled over and convulsed. "Only four more to go." He found it much easier to concentrate knowing Hinamei wasn't anywhere near him. Like a leech, it was awfully hard to shake her. Even from his thoughts. He spat out another round of blood and made his way through the trees towards the group that had perched themselves high above the trees. "It's no use, I can sense your weak chakra from here." Two kunai dropped into his hands and he cut up the tree until he landed on the branch, catching one off guard with his quick defense. The kunai plunged into the forehead of the first man and he fell from the branch dead. His hands moved quickly and he dropped from the tree, his eyes shut in concentration. With his fingers pinned together he blew the fireball past a large oak and listened as the remaining three fell dead from the fire. His eyes quickly changed back and he glanced at the small camera that rested at the top of the wall.

"Still think he's not made for this?" The man turned towards the grinning boy and flustered, pushing his glasses up.

"He wasn't actually supposed to kill any of them, only incapacitate them!" Shisui grinned and again shook his head at the man with the glasses.

"Remember," he tapped a gloved finger to his forehead. "It's that blood inside of him. It's unstoppable."

* * *

Hinamei sat on Itachi's porch, her eyes endlessly searching the long road towards the end of the compound. She had been waiting for hours and still there was no sign of either of them. She furrowed her brow and tucked her knees in under her chin. It was unfair to leave her waiting like this, and without any word as to why. They were all friends weren't they? How was it she felt like she was quickly falling out of the loop? A loud huff to her right brought her attention back to the road and she stood up suddenly, her teeth pulled together painfully. "Itachi..."

Itachi winced as he walked up the road. His mouth tasted of stale blood and his face was bruising already. By this point he could hardly feel his legs but he refused to accept help from Shisui. After the first mock battle he had to fight Kakashi. Sharingan against sharingan and even though the copy nin had only one of them his was much more advanced than Itachi's yet. Of course he got beaten, the point wasn't to win but to hold his own. And he did, far past what any of the others expected. Unfortunately for him the outcome wasn't an easy sight. His breathing was ragged and he glanced over at Shisui. "You went through all of this too?" Shisui snorted and waved his hand in dismissal.

"No way, they didn't expect as much out of me as they do you. It's probably my fault too, the way I talk about you, they must think you're an untouchable monster or something!" Just as Itachi was about to beat Shisui for his loud mouth Hinamei skidded to a halt in front of them. Itachi blinked and scowled. He had forgotten, he still had to talk his way out of this to Hinamei, including the tid bit about her having to leave his house. It was something he didn't have the energy nor patience to deal with.

"What is it you want?" Shisui looked over at Itachi and frowned, he had told Itachi countless times to go easier on her. But nothing ever came of it. Hinamei narrowed her dark eyes and clenched her tiny fists shut.

"Don't start acting like this to me, I haven't done anything to you." Itachi sighed and strutted past her, trying his hardest to hold his head high like the pain wasn't taking a toll on him. "You really owe me an apology and an explanation Itachi!" She unclenched her hands and slouched, just the angry aura Itachi was giving her off made her exhausted. She hated to imagine how he must have felt. Her eyes flashed back towards Shisui and all he did was look away.

"I need to get home. Sorry Hinamei." Shisui bent over and gave Hinamei a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead. Ignoring Itachi's hot stare he smiled at her and told her softly, "be strong." He left in a hurry, leaving an exasperated Itachi alone with Hinamei. Another reason just added to the list of things he couldn't tolerate from Shisui. He sighed and sat down on his porch stairs, staring out at the setting sun as it painted the world orange.

"Hinamei, I'm not going to have much time with you anymore." She swept her dress under her as she sat, looking worried she bit back her lip. "I've joined the ranks of the ANBU black ops. From now on all my time will be spent preparing for missions and training in a special facility." He glanced over at her and winced, she wasn't crying yet. "Somewhere you _can't_ go. Which means-" Hinamei stopped him with her hand, looking up at him with a faint smile.

"I know all of this, your Tou-san told me when I arrived on your doorstep to wait for you. He also told me I wasn't allowed to stay at your house anymore." She swept her gaze out to the horizon and her smile faltered. "I guess I can understand. He wouldn't take my money when I offered it. I suppose he really just doesn't like me. I'm more upset with the fact that you didn't tell me. I really thought that out of all people, you'd be the last to keep lying to me." Her gaze darkened and her voice got lower. "But I guess I was wrong about you too. Just like everyone else. We're all growing up Itachi, I'm not a baby you can tell me things like this. Don't you think it hurts more to worry than it does to hear you be honest?" Itachi watched wordlessly as she stood up, her hands raised to her side and finally she broke. "At least you'd be talking to me then! You can't just bottle everything up and treat me the way you do because you feel like I can't handle it! When you're the one that can't handle to form a few sentences to just let me know!" Her eyes shut and she took herself to the bottom step of the stairs. "You're not better than me Itachi! You weren't when we were five and you sure as hell aren't now." She looked away now, unable to even look him in the face. He still said nothing to her in response, his eyes were glued to her. Waiting for more. "You promised me I wouldn't ever have to be alone again. You promised that you'd be there. If that was all a lie to then why didn't you let me leave that night, at least I'd be off your list of stupid problems!"

But he couldn't take any more. Why couldn't she just understand?

"Stop yelling at me Hinamei. Who the hell do you think you are!" Despite the pain that shot through his legs he stood up, eyes bright and angry as he advanced on her. "If you've felt like this for that long why didn't you say something sooner? I listen to your endless problems day in and day out, and it has stayed the same since we first met. I-I can't even look at you right now!" He turned away and placed a hand to his hair. This was all going so terribly wrong. "I like you so much and I can't even tell you. Why can't you stop being so selfish, just for one day?" He turned back towards her and she took a step back. His sharingan had activated and he looked angrier than ever. "Don't you get it? I want to be there, I want to keep you close but I can't because I have bigger problems to deal with. How _stupid_ can you be?" She pinched her mouth shut and glowered, something she had picked up from Itachi from so many stupid arguments passed. But this was different. "I don't tell you things because I can't stand the thought of making you worry, yet somehow you still find things to get upset over. Just, just get out of here. I can't deal with you right now." He waved his hand and turned away, each step he took his chest ached and he wanted desperatly to turn back around.

But he was stronger than that and evidently so was she now.

As she walked away, he noticed, she didn't shed a single tear.


	22. Orchids

**A/N:** Alright, my lovely readers, here marks the final time skip we will be encountering. Oh, and it was pointed out to me that throughout my entire story I might have slipped up with the age difference between Itachi and Sasuke...yeah, I can't fix it now but I'm sorry and just try not to think about it too much. And one more point, what do you guys think of Shisui? I haven't heard much feedback on his character but it's important, in regards to the next following two chapters. Anyways, for all of you that were asking for more sweet Itachi, I'm sorry but those days are over. Or are they? Well, I'll let you decide ;)

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One:

"Orchids."

* * *

Hinamei had never been happier. She sat on the edge of the dock with her eyes transfixed on the almost hypnotizing current of the water while her feet dangled over the edge. Every now and then she could feel the water rise up and wash over her ankles and she couldn't help but laugh with delight when they did. "What are you doing so far out here by yourself?' As she turned, her smile faded. It was _that_ voice, she hadn't truly heard it for so long. Itachi stood tall behind her, his eyes a soft charcoal color and his hair loosely tied back. A small smile appeared on his mouth and he raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Cat got your tongue?" Itachi had gotten older and with it dozens of changes had occurred. His shoulders got broader, his body more toned, his voice had gotten deeper and even his face had filled out a little more. He was spectacular and Hinamei had to force herself to look away. _What is this? I've known him for nearly eight years and all of a sudden I can't look at him? _Suddenly a hand grazed her chin and she was forced to look into his face as he knelt in front of her.

"Itachi, w-what are you doing?" Her eyes got wide and desperatly she pushed a hand into his shoulder to move him away, but he merely swiped his hand up and pushed her's off. Smirking as he did so.

"Hinamei," his voice trailed off and expectantly he looked at her mouth. Her eyes dropped and she leaned in, feeling his warm breath tickle the edges of her lip. _I can't stand this anymore! _They were so close she could feel his lips grazing against hers and when he spoke as softly as a whisper she thought now was the moment she might truly pass out. "I need you..."

Her tousled head shot up from the pillow and she hit her hand hard against her temple. "No, no, no! Disgusting! Itachi, get out of my dreams already!" Her dark eyes flared up and she fell back, yelling into the pillow as she did so. Really, Itachi wasn't even her type and he's the _last_ person she wanted to have her real first kiss with. Even in dreams, that spot was off limits. She crawled out of bed, angry to have been wakening up in such a horrible way and from the looks of it, quite early. A knock on the door pushed her anger away and she snapped her eyes towards the front of the house. Who would visit her at this hour? She looked down at herself and blushed angrily; they had picked quite a time to call on her! Quickly she rushed into the closet, looking for anything to cover up her skin with. She settled on a black silk robe, it hung above her knees but it was better than before. Hurriedly she rushed to the door, streaming a hand through her hair trying to tame it, but it was no good. The day was early, still dewy with last night's chill and she shivered as the early winter air wrapped around her ankles. Hinamei blinked at the vast emptiness. "No one's here?" Her eyes fell to the floor and she grinned. A bouquet of flowers lie on her porch and just as she was about to bend down to get them, a kunai darted out from one of the trees and splintered the door right where her head had been. A small scream left her mouth and stupidly, she wrapped her arms around her head and bent to her knees.

An attack, first thing in the morning? She blinked before her eyes narrowed and she dropped her arms to her side. Of course, why hadn't she seen this coming?

"Oh look, it's the birthday girl. I think I might have woken her." Shisui sat in the tree branch, swinging his legs back and forth childishly with a devilish grin slapped on his face. The now sixteen year old boy laughed to himself and gave Hinamei an over exaggerated wink. It was too early to deal with them. Above him stood Itachi, his eyes dark and looking over Hinamei without a readable expression on his face. Even still, she looked away uneasily. Shisui pounced down to the ground and smiled, feeling the tension in the air get thicker. Why did this always have to happen when they were around each other? Hinamei looked up, both boys were dressed in their ANBU uniforms. Shisui's bare arms showed off the tattoo he had where as Itachi's short sleeved shirt hid his from view. _They must have just gotten back,_ she hadn't seen either of them for three days. But she smiled regardless. At least they remembered her birthday. "Sorry to start your day off like this, but really, I couldn't break tradition now could I?" Hinamei smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. She bent down an picked up the flowers, not missing a beat as Itachi slid his eyes towards her to watch her reaction.

"They're my favorite. You sure have good taste Shisui." Itachi looked away and Shisui smirked in response, eyeing his team mate curiously. "How long are you here for anyway?" She didn't want to make it too obvious she cared, more or less she tried to disguise it as nonchalant conversation. But from the looks on both their faces she didn't mask it too well.

"Don't know yet, after we're done here we're off to see the Hokage with our report." Shisui stretched and muffled a yawn. "But anytime now we should be getting some time off. I'll let you know when we find out." Itachi nodded and Shisui blinked back, "right, we really have to get going though." He gave a small, happy wave to Hinamei who returned it with no exuberance and watched as Shisui darted off. She kept her eyes glued to the ground until she felt Itachi's presence leave too. Leaning against the door she sighed, arranging the petals with her slender fingers.

She really should have gotten used to Itachi by now.

He started acting like this after their fight two and half years ago. Gradually slipping away from her as she liked to see it. As it stood he was at his worst. Getting a single word out of him would have been a miracle. The only people he was really kind to was Sasuke and Shisui. And even the latter she had to question sometimes. On occasions such as this she found herself missing the person he was more and more. What made matters worse is that arranged marriage still loomed over her head like a black cloud. She wasn't sure on the details but assumed that he had to follow through with it before they turned eighteen. There was once a time when she almost saw it possible, where he held her close when she was scared and promised things would be alright. But something like that hadn't slipped from his mouth in years and she doubted she would hear it again anytime soon. Shisui liked to blame it on the stress, but she knew better. Itachi just didn't like her. Not like he used to anyway. A part of her actually felt like she'd rather have Itachi walk around calling her annoying and stupid now, anything but the silence.

The silence killed her. It was like she didn't even exist to him. She hadn't heard anything but one word answers come out of his mouth for over a year now. At least not directed at her. With a sigh Hinamei pushed herself up off the door and went back into her house. The pale light drifted in through the open blinds and she watched as the dust reflected off the small beam. From overhead she took down a vase and filled it with water, taking her time to unravel the bouquet and arrange them till she was happy. Now that she was up she saw it fit to get ready. After all, according to the clock she only had two hours left till her shift at the flower shop. Since it was her birthday she felt like it didn't hurt to feel pretty. She took her time in doing her hair and spotting her face with bit's of makeup. She left the house feeling in check in a minty green dress, cream tinted cardigan and peach flavored lips. The walk down was lonely, people had yet to come out from their beds and she sighed, blowing a fringe of hair up with her.

Hinamei looked down and frowned, she had forgotten Ino had painted her nails for her last time she worked. All ten fingers and toes were an eye grating blue. Unmatched to her mellow dress. She had moved on from wearing boots, now she wore sandals. The type citizens wore who had no intentions on ever fighting again. She had become, as Shisui like to put it, the most normal person on the planet. On the outside that is. Her mouth still spouted some of the strangest things and he persisted that she would never grow out of her eccentricity. Hinamei pulled the shop key from her apron pocket and walked under the shop bell that went off every time the door shook it. It was just her till noon. With a sigh she got started, trimming the frail looking leaves and weeding out the dying flowers, it took her less than ten minutes to water every plant. A frown replaced her complacent expression. How could she be done already? According to the clock she wasn't supposed to cut new flowers for three more hours. With an agitated sigh she sat back on the stool behind the counter, guessing that all she could do now was wait for customers to arrive. Over the course of twenty minutes, her fingers had tipped, tapped, and throttled almost everything on the register. Bored until she carelessly pulled the sale book out from under the register and began leafing through it. "Ah, that was nice of him. She deserves something sweet," Hinamei mused to herself as she scanned the names. "Yellow roses, tsk, what's he trying to say to her?" Her eyes fell lower on the page until she reached the last name and she stilled.

_"Uchiha Itachi, 7:38 pm. Winter's eve Orchid."_

She closed the book and wordlessly put it back. Her eyes out of focus and lip trembling. "The flowers were from him? Did he remember..."

_"What's your favorite kind of flower Ita-chan?" He cast her a flat stare and she smiled, continuing on like she hadn't seen it. They sat on the perch of a wall, watching as Shisui hit targets with perfect accuracy "Mine's called a Winter's eve Orchid and it's one of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen." Her eyes fell and a small blush crept into her cheeks. "They say that those kind of flowers are given as apologies to people you love. That if accepted and put out on a winter's eve morning, whoever you're giving them to will forgive you for whatever you've done. Isn't that sweet?" Itachi stared ahead, trying his hardest to block her out. He hoped that if he ignored her for long enough she'd stop rambling. "I think it's sweet."_

_"I don't care about your stupid flowers Hinamei, if you're going to spout words at least talk about something interesting." She grated her teeth and turned away. Stupid Itachi, one day he'll realize he'd be lost without her. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. Meeting his glower with mirrored expression._

_"But even if you gave me a flower like that I still wouldn't forgive you." Itachi snorted in response and hopped down from the wall._

_"Trust me, you wouldn't get flowers from me even if you begged."_

She slipped off of the stool and walked over to the door. Could it have been just a coincidence after all? Her dark eyes widened as she watched two people advance down the street, one was talking with his hands about and the other was staring broodingly ahead. His hands in his pockets and his mind obviously not in the conversation at all. It only took them two hours to finish their report? She slid out of view, slipping behind the tall rose displays and watched from between the leaves as they passed. A grateful sigh passed her lips and she laughed nervously, turning her attention back to them as they walked ahead. Itachi turned his head to look back and momentarily they made eye contact. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't force herself to turn away. It was only when he broke away did she choke back her breath and wobble back over to the register. "He saw me. He had to, what else could he have been looking at?" She smoothed her dress and stood up straight, rolling back her shoulders. It's not like it mattered anyway, he wasn't talking to her and therefore she didn't see a reason to speak to him. "I'm going to go cut those damn flowers early." She mumbled before stalking off into the back room where they grew. Keeping her mind occupied she willed herself to think of everything but the moody Uchiha and she kept herself busy till the first customer arrived and left. After that a steady flow of people came in till the clock hit noon. Ayashima came in and stretched as she walked through the door, managing a tired hello to Hinamei as she passed.

"We haven't been very busy have we?" From where she sat on the stool she shook her head and Ayashima nodded knowingly. "Well around this time of year it usually isn't. How about you head on home, there's no point in working if you'll have nothing to do." Hinamei smiled with wide eyes, Ayashima was nice but when it came to work she had rules that she followed religiously. "Happy birthday sweetheart."

"How did you know?" The Uchiha girl asked, unable to remember telling her at any point. With a soft grin Ayashima winked and Hinamei quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"That handsome Uchiha boy of yours told me last night. Speaking of, did you get his gift?" Hinamei looked away uneasily, managing to force half a smile.

"Yes I did, this morning. They were beautiful." Ayashima paid no mind to the girls dropped voice and instead she continued on.

"That's what I told him. Imagine my surprise when he walked in and picked out what he wanted in two minutes flat. Like he had been thinking about it all day. You don't see many men like that come in. You sure are lucky to have someone like him Hinamei." To her surprise Hinamei snorted, she took the apron off around her head and shot Ayashima a sarcastic smirk.

"Trust me, when you really get close you'll find out he's not the saint everyone thinks he is." Ayashima blushed and shrilly exclaimed with her hands to her face. It wasn't until she started gushing, 'tell me more, please!' that Hinamei realized she had said the wrong thing entirely. She gave a loud nervous laugh and covered it up with a swift, "I would but I can't keep him waiting after all!" She left the shop shaking with Ayashima's last words still hot on her tail. "A fox, eh?" Hinamei shook her head and giggled. Even if the whole conversation made her feel sick she was still happy to have found out it wasn't so much a coincidence as she had first thought. A stiff smile found its way to her pink lips and she rubbed her neck nervously. But what did it mean? Surely it had to mean the same to him if he was dropping flowers at her door, right? She sighed and tried her best to shake the thought. Until he made a move it was probably easier to just forget about it.

She'd be running in circles for hours if she didn't.

As she walked into the compound and past the old training grounds she heard the unmistakable sound of grunting coming to her left. "Huh?" She turned, a part of her prepared to see Itachi and Shisui still throwing shurikan and wooden plates. Her eyes lowered, they haven't been here for years. What would change that? A small child stood where she once did, throwing weighted kunai at a splintered plank. The boy halted and whipped on his heel, holding a kunai out in front of him defensively. She blinked and laughed nervously, rubbing her hand on her neck. "Oh hey Sasuke-kun, I didn't mean to interrupt you or anything. Just passing through." She heard the kunai drop to the floor and when she opened her eyes she saw Sasuke running towards her with a smile bigger than she'd seen in a long while.

"Hina-chan! It's been so long since I've seen you!" His arms wrapped around her dress and he inhaled. "You smell good, I miss this." He mumbled into her leg, turning his face upwards he grinned. "Do you like what you see? I've been training hard every day. I have top scores at the academy you know, just like Nii-san had." His eyes lowered and his smile wavered. "But I'm still not as good as he was at my age." She placed her hand a top his head and ruffled his inky black hair.

"Hey, don't say that. Itachi's a big bore anyway, I'm sure you'll be even better than him within the week. I still can't even throw a kunai that well." He laughed a let her go, stepping back he whipped a second kunai out and spun it on his finger. "Why don't you show me some more tricks of yours." With a wink she laughed as she watched him run off, she didn't realize how much she missed the kid. Since Itachi stopped talking to her she hardly went out. Between home and work she found reasons not to go over and visit. Even if it meant cutting Sasuke out of the picture. She leaned against the wall as she watched him, smiling as he skidded and leaped. Never once did he miss his target.

"Sasuke, Kaa-san has your lunch ready. You know she doesn't like to be kept waiting." Sasuke whipped around with a pout, his eyes struggling to silently plead with his brother. Hinamei let her eyes drop, feeling awkward as she stood in-between the two.

"Nii-san, please, just a few more minutes!" Itachi shot him a warning look before waving his hand and allowing Sasuke to continue. Out of the corner of her eye Hinamei glanced up at him. He hadn't looked at her yet.

"I wanted to thank you for the flowers Itachi, they're beautiful." Her voice was quiet but she caught his movement as he turned halfway towards her. He answered with a small 'hn' and she smiled. "Did you remember?" His dark eyes flashed away from her and he turned back up towards Sasuke.

"Let's go, you can come back after you eat." Sasuke whined and slowly picked up his kunai, throwing them in his bag he muttered a faint 'fine' before he strutted over.

"Bye Hina-chan, it was nice seeing you." His large eyes flashed over to his brother and he smiled, mischief flashing in his eyes. "And you look pretty today, I'm sure Nii-san would agree." Itachi cut him a hard glare and Hinamei blushed with a fluster. She choked on her words till Sasuke laughed and walked off. Her shoulders slumped, leave it to the kid to make her speechless, he _was_ just like his brother. Sasuke broke into a run and to her surprise Itachi didn't follow. She turned towards him, cheeks still tinted pink with the blush. It was the first time he had really looked at her and she saw it in his eyes, something passive. Was he ever going to speak? She bit back on her lip nervously, still tasting a faint peach flavor on her lips.

"Itachi-" He smirked and raised his head fully towards her and she stepped back, unsure. This was the first time he truly acknowledged her in over a year, it was comforting even if it was sarcastic.

"You should get home Hinamei, walking alone looking like _that_ will get you in trouble if you're not careful." Itachi turned away from her, leaving her staring wordlessly after him. He made it out of the training grounds until he heard his name called out from behind him. "Hm?" He looked over his shoulder, eyes serious and bold. Watching as he placed her hands together in front of her, something she did often when she was younger.

"Apology accepted." And he answered just as she thought he would. With another 'hn' left from his mouth he continued walking, a smile graced his lips and he made sure his back was to her. He didn't know what he'd do if she managed to see that, kami knows he'd never live that down. Hinamei placed a hand to her chest and sighed, that went off well but still, again with the one word answers! She frowned and knocked herself in the temple, "don't get carried away, he's still a jerk just like he'll forever be. Stupid Hinamei." She clutched her apron in her hand and carried off back to her house. Head still lost to his words. Had he called her pretty? She laughed to herself and strained, of course he didn't. What he said was vague and made no sense, like all the nonsense that rarely spewed from his mouth. She approached her house with a headache, the trials of the day too much for to handle anymore and at this point, all she wanted to do was go back to bed. As she passed the vase she stopped, looking back over at she gently took one orchid out and examined it. It was perfect, petals curved like bone, pale and icy with a dark blue speckled center. With the flower still in her hand she wandered over to the bookshelf. "I won't forget this Itachi." She pulled a book from the shelf and opened it middle page. "You were wrong after all, I didn't have to beg once." The flower sat center on the page and with a grunt she slammed the book shut. "I'll take this flower to the grave with me, insisting you liked me after all. That idiot." She stifled a yawn and put the large book back on the shelf, making her way into her bedroom she crawled onto the bed. Her sandals slipped off of her feet and she brought her legs upwards, curling into herself like she did when she was scared. Her eyes looked out the window, watching as a couple passed down the street, holding hands and whispering sweet nothings. Hinamei snorted and rolled over, her hair coming undone from the intricate style she had pulled it into. Was this how things would forever be? Get up, go to work, come home. How dull, her eyes drifted shut and she brought the spare pillow in close to her chest. "Itachi, what's happened to us?"

She fell asleep alone again, hoping in the back of her head she'd wake up and he'd be there. But she knew better.

"You really shouldn't leave your house unlocked. Anyone could just wander in and take what they like you know." She opened one eye warily, annoyed at whoever it was the stole her from her sleep. The person was lying down next to her with his arms casually thrown behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. "I told you I'd let you know when I had time off, I figured you wouldn't mind if I let myself in." Lazily she threw an arm over his chest and nuzzled into his rib cage.

"Shisui, shut up and go to bed." She mumbled into his side. He laughed and shook his head, obviously not wanting to oblige.

"Now that's no way to spend a birthday, when did you get boring Hinamei?" She peeked up at him through one eye and glared, he knew the answer to that one. "Oh that's right, after we stopped hanging around you." His voice got softer and slowly he turned in towards her. "Look, I don't know what happened either. But I've been thinking lately that the only person who can make Itachi normal again is you." At this she bolted away from him, withdrawing her arm and looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "I'm serious, don't look at me like that."

"For once in your life, yeah I get it. But you must have lost your mind. He won't so much as glance at me." She turned away and tapped a finger to her lip, "well except for today, but I'm not counting that. When he can come up and strike up a normal conversation then maybe I'll consider it." Shisui sat upright, ignoring her last sentence he had that look in his eye like he had a plan. A brilliantly stupid plan.

"You know, I'm off the rest of the day and I don't even have to ask to know you'll be doing nothing." She looked away, already offended and he hadn't even been there for more than ten minutes. "Let's go on a mission together, like we used to. I'm sure we can figure this out. And by the end of the day you'll have Itachi sitting back in your palm, just like old times." Irked, she pushed him off the bed with her foot.

"I never had him sitting in the palm of my hand. From how I remember it, _I_ was the one following _you_ guys around like a lost puppy!" He snickered and looked up at her expectantly. She couldn't help it, Shisui had a charm that not even she could resist. She crossed her arms and looked away, mumbling a small 'fine', unknowingly sealing her fate.

* * *

Itachi wandered outside of his house, he looked up at the sky from the shelter of his hand and sighed. "Sasuke, are you ready?" He called back, looking over his shoulder to see if the small child was coming. Sasuke bolted from inside the house and darted onto the porch, grinning as he did so. "This won't take long, when we come back I'll help you with your training alright?" Itachi smiled down at the boy and tousled his hair, heading down the steps once Sasuke's hand was secured in his.

"Nii-san? What's wrong with Hina-chan, how come she doesn't come over anymore?" The small boy looked up until Itachi sighed and shrugged his shoulder.

"That's what happens when people get older. They lose friends and some they keep. It all depends."

"But aren't you two supposed to get married?" Itachi kept his eyes ahead of him, this situation was one he had gone over in his head a million times and yet he still couldn't find a way out. Again, he smiled down at Sasuke and bent down to pick him up. Happily, Sasuke sat on top of Itachi's shoulders, his hands tangled in his hair.

"That's something you don't need to worry about right now."

_"That weasel!_ Look how nonchalant he is about the whole thing. Shisui, I really can't stand this. Can we please just go back already?" Hinamei brushed back her fringes and sighed, the air was growing hotter. Only a few more days of this till winter really would start to set in. Shisui gave her a stern glare, whispering a threat before he hopped out of the tree. He looked up at the girl and motioned for her to come down. Angrily, she snapped back. "I told you I wouldn't be able to come down! I'm stuck!" With a roll of his eyes Shisui glanced back, Itachi was well ahead of them now and he took that chance to jump back into the tree. Swooping Hinamei up in his arms she loudly struggled, unbeknownst to him, afraid of heights. Her arms secured around his neck and she nuzzled into his collarbone. It wasn't until he commented that she realized she was safely on the ground and still in his arms.

"Alright you crybaby, you can let go now." His eyes were closed and she glanced around. She was being made a spectacle of and nervously she climbed down.

"Sorry." Her eyes relaxed and she looked ahead. Itachi was out of sight by now. Suddenly she began feeling sick, this was too much. Despite what she wanted to think she couldn't pry herself away from Itachi. She loved him, too much to stand around and watch him think nothing of her. "Shisui, I really don't think I can do this. Look, thanks for trying but it's pointless unless he wants my help." She blinked, did she not hear him? "Shisui?" She looked to her left and frowned. Shisui was standing a foot away from her, leaning against the wall and leaning in towards a young woman a little older than herself. "Right," she waved her hand and started walking away. Knowing that when he was in this mood he wasn't going to hear a word she said. "And to think, I could have still been sleeping."

When she made it back to her house she was in an even fouler mood than she started off in. Itachi had forgotten about her. Shisui had blown her off completely. And to make everything worse a migraine was setting in. Rubbing at her temples she kicked off her shoes and slowly made it towards the bathroom. Figuring a hot bath might fix the headache and maybe she could forget about both selfish Uchiha boys in the process. While the bath ran hot she fixed herself a cold glass of water and as quickly as she could, downed it. What a birthday this was turning out to be. Her eyes settled on the flower arrangement and she plucked three small blossoms from the bottom. Despite that it still looked full. She let the flowers go on top of the water, watching as they floated around the porcelain edges. "Maybe I could leave the village," she sighed as she settled in the water. her hair floated around her shoulders, sticking to her wet skin. "I could become a traveling florist and sell the blooms I find on the side of the road as I wander." She sunk in deeper until her neck was surrounded by the floral scented bath. "And maybe then I won't have to marry that awful boy." With her head leaned back she closed her eyes, picturing the many adventures she could have if she hadn't been born into the Uchiha clan. A fantasy she often had at bath time. The first twenty minutes went by flawlessly, but as expected something had to go wrong.

A door opened somewhere out of the bathroom and she froze, eyes narrowed at the bathroom door. As she remembered she had left a window open, it could only be a breeze. Before she got another chance to relax however the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Someone was in her living room. _If it's Shisui I swear I'll kill him._ Quietly, she wrapped a towel around her body and snuck over to the side of the wall. Sudden panic set in and she wondered if maybe it was no one she knew at all, coming in to hurt her and steal what little things she didn't possess. "Hinamei? Are you home?" A voice called out, unrecognizable through the wall. Her shoulders slumped though and she assumed it could only be one person. Took him long enough to wander back in. She threw the bathroom door open and scowled.

"Shisui, I told you I'm done chasing him around. He doesn't like me anymore, can't you understand?" She turned the corner into the kitchen and glowered. "Now don't you-" she opened her eyes to make sure she saw what she was seeing and swallowed. That wasn't Shisui at all.

"So you were following me?" Itachi's dark eyes drifted down her legs and a small blush crept into his cheeks. "Uh," he turned around suddenly, both hands on her counter with his head held down. Hinamei, still shocked from seeing Itachi in her living room only blinked and tried to will herself to move. "Can't you put some clothes on or something?" His voice wavered and she snapped out of it. Her face got bright red and her eyes widened. _Clothes? I'm not wearing any- _She stormed into her room as quickly as she could, with her hand over her mouth she closed her eyes. Nothing but a towel, Itachi had seen her in nothing but a towel!

Could this day get any worse?

She threw on a dress and pulled her hair up into a loose bun before she felt like she could face Itachi again. If he was even still waiting. Carefully, she slid the door open and peeked out. As far as she could tell she was alone there. She walked out into the living room and quickly looked away. Itachi was at her bookshelf, leafing through a book she hadn't read since she was little. "Itachi?" He closed the book and glanced over at her, obviously still a little flustered from the incident before.

"Kaa-san sent me over here with that." He pointed at a small folded box on the counter. Hinamei walked over and gingerly lifted the lid. It was a box of different sweets with a birthday note placed center on the goodies. She smiled and closed the lid.

"How considerate. Tell her I said thank you. Is that all you came over for then?" Itachi looked at her curiously. He didn't say anything for a second but when he finally spoke he held his head high. Like he was proud and challenging her. Their eyes met and she couldn't seem to shake him off. Chills ran down her spine. His eyes were so empty, careless almost and inhuman. Finally he placed the book back on its shelf and started.

"Not just that. I'm curious as to why Shisui and yourself were following me this morning? And why you seem to think I don't like you anymore?" Hinamei lowered her head, could he be serious? This is the most she had heard from him in over a year and he has the nerve to ask a question like that?

"Is it not true?" Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to understand why he was doing this and now of all times. "You have hardly spoken to him since we were ten!. Has there been proof you still are fond of me? Because from where I stand all I see is a selfish-"

"-did you not say my apology was accepted?" Her mouth opened in surprise and she withdrew herself, arms coming in towards her chest as if to put up a wall. Nervously, she looked away. It's true she had said that, but she didn't think he would take it to heart as he had. "Did you ever consider that the distance between us is maybe for the best? Because of something you would fail to understand even if I put it in the simplest way. Or has all your reasoning been self centered?" He was taken aback as Hinamei's lips curled into a smile, her eyes dark and unreadable.

"This again? I thought we finished this three years ago. Why can't you let these things go, like I've been forced to. Every broken promise, every time you helped me, every time you stopped me from doing something reckless, I've had to let them all go! All that I thought was special and important I've had to forget because I just can't standwatching you keep pushing me away. Do you love me or n-" His hands wrapped around her wrists and her back hit the wall with a force that made her wince under his weight. Itachi had pinned her to the wall, her arms held high above her head. There was no point in struggling, her fingers pried but he was too strong.

"Shut up Hinamei! You have no idea what I'm going through. Just listen to me for once, you don't want to get involved!" He hissed down at her, eyes brightly lit and boring into her. "Just let me go, there are things in this world that could hurt you, break you. I won't be here forever, sooner or later you'll have to learn to protect yourse-" his voice carried away and his hands loosened around her wrists. Standing taller than her he looked down as she cried, her tears splattering against the floor. His chest ached again and he found himself unable to continue. So even after all this time she still had a hold of his heart.

"I can't just let you go Itachi, I refuse to." She brought her head up and glared, tears streaming down her face but under that he saw sheer determination. "You know letting you go isn't an option. No matter how hard I ever tried I wouldn't ever be able to forget about you! No matter how hard I ever could will myself to, I couldn't ever completely rid you from my life. And it will always be this way." She pulled one hand free from his grip and cupped his cheek. Hoping he would look at her and yet his eyes stayed averted past her. "I like you too. And I can't even tell you." Black orbs flickered to her face and she managed a smile. "I haven't cried like this since that day." Itachi pulled away from her, his eyes wide. Hinamei had a gift she didn't even know she had and yet she could break his heart in two with it.

"If you won't listen to me," his voice was deep and dripping with sincerity. "Then there's nothing I can do to help you."

In a blink he was gone and for the first time in three years, she cried until she couldn't cry anymore and her eyes fell shut to visions of her living room floor.


	23. Principles of Love and War

**A/N:** This chapter is going to seem out of place a little, but I really had to give Shisui some screen time. Especially considering what's _going_ to happen to him, there were a lot of loose ends I had to tie up. Plus, it gives people a chance to further see inside his head and realize he's not just a sarcastic teenager acting in as Itachi's sidekick. No way.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two:

"Principles of Love and War."

* * *

The knocking on her door persisted and heavily, she cast her blood shot eyes towards the sound. "Go away already," her hands rubbed at her sore eyes and she cradled herself closer into the blankets. This time she remembered to lock the door. Finally, the sound died away and she sighed. They were all so persistent. Why couldn't they understand? She just wanted to be alone for a while. This was her third day barracaded in her house. She hadn't talked to anyone other than herself, for a slight second she felt guilty, having not spoken to Ayashima about anything. Surely they had gotten worried by now if not furious. But the world seemed too vast suddenly, as if anything outside her house would break her and never again would she be able to live freely. And it was all thanks to Itachi.

Since that day she had cried, endlessly until her own sobbing lulled her to sleep. And when she woke she cried some more. It was one of those qualities Itachi had always hated. Her biggest weakness was how sensitive she was to everything. And that was lightly speaking. At least before she was able to walk throughout town carelessly and if she did happen to see Itachi it was a gentle passing, no words exchanged but at the same time both knew the other was there. Now even the thought of seeing Itachi made her tremble, surely if she would pass him in the streets now he wouldn't even spare a glance. To him she was nothing now. If she wouldn't forget about him with her own free will his only other option was to force her. Even if it meant driving her to hate him.

_"If you won't listen to me then there's nothing I can do to help you."_

His parting words stayed trapped in her brain, over and over she repeated them trying to figure out what was behind it all. What was he planning? Her fists clenched at the blankets, she could feel the upheaval of more tears coming. And by now, she was so sick of crying. She couldn't help that she loved him and even if someone had asked her she wouldn't be able to find a reason why. His soul had grown bleak and cold and his mind was a puzzle to anyone that could work a word out of him. What was there left to love? Something bad was going to happen, he had made that much clear to her. But she had yet to understand how far he would go for the clan. Her mind quickly shut that thought out. Politics had never been her strong point and if this what was going to prod that chaos until it burst, there was nothing she could do to help. She was lost in thought for about an hour until a loud series of bangs startled her from her thoughts and quickly, her eyes flashed to the door. All was quiet for a few seconds until the large strikes happened once more. This wasn't someone looking to see if she was home. This was someone who knew she was there and wanted in. Her breathing stopped for a second and her eyes shook with fear. "Please, go away. I can't handle this right now." Her hands wrapped around her head and she closed her eyes tightly.

Her mother had once told her that if she was scared all she had to do was close her eyes and count to five. So she started with one. Another loud bang occured and the door shook. Much more of that and the door was bound to give in. "Two!" Once more, she let out a small scream and held her hands to her head almost painfully. "Three!" The banging stopped and for five entire seconds she waited. "Four..." Suddenly, her window rattled and she screamed loudly.

"Hinamei, let me in dammit!" She turned towards the voice, it was Shisui, eyes wide and terrifed. His ANBU mask was pulled up over his towards his forhead and he had a gash on his arm that was dripping blood faster than what looked healthy. She stumbled clumsily over to the window and quickly unlatched it. He wasted no time in pulling himself through, pushing her aside as he did so. "Where's your katana?" His voice was shaking and steadily he held out his hand to her.

"W-what?" Shisui snapped his head at her, his sharingan was activated and she quickly shut her eyes. She had never seen Shisui's sharingan before and for some reason it frightened her more than Itachi's had.

"Your katana!" With as much speed as she could manage she rushed over to the closet and pulled it from the corner. She didn't even have a chance to turn around before it was out of her hand and Shisui was searching her face for something. "Stay in here for a while alright? Whatever you do, don't come out till you know everybody is gone." His hand drifted over her face till he cupped her cheek and as quietly as he could he whispered, "keep your eyes shut. No matter what." Firmly, he pushed her inside and pulled down the tanuki mask. He held a finger to his mouth and then blew a kiss through the mask. Even when in danger Shisui was still Shisui. Closing the door quickly she flinched, someone new was banging on the door. Her hand quickly slapped to her mouth, muffling the scream that was threatening to come out. This had to be a dream, it had happened so suddenly what else could it be? She shut her eyes and counted back to five, starting at one. From where she sat she could hear the door splinter under someone's impact. All these sounds erupted from in front of her and she pushed herself as far back into the corner as could manage. _Shisui, be careful please..._

* * *

Shisui pushed his mask back up, exhaling loudly as he stepped through the gates of the village. His mission ended sooner than he had thought it would and happily, he strutted with a lopsided grin on his face. After he reported in to the third he would finally be free to take that long deserving nap he'd been waiting three days for. Itachi was out in his mission still, and judging by the description Itachi had read him, he'd be gone for a couple more days still. It had been one hell of a month already, missions were coming in left and right and the number of Jounin and ANBU the village had at the time stretched only so far. He wasn't overexaggerating when he said they were truly working him to the bone. The early evening light was relaxing, even the slight breeze that came in was something to be thankful for thanks to his last grueling assignment. It had been a warm winter so far, but he wasn't complaining. He hated the cold. As he approached the Hokage's tower he halted, something didn't feel right. Slowly, he pulled the tanuki mask over his face and leaped up onto the closest building, trying to scan the area for foul play. The strike hit him before he even had a chance to turn around. He skidded to the edge and grasped a firm hold around his upper arm, blood seeped through his fingers and he winced, "what the hell?" A tall man stood in front of him and Shisui's eyes widened. This man's clothes, they were that of a group of rogue shinobi that had allianced together and had been attacking various villages. They were from the same group that he had been assigned to assassinate.

"Looks like your job wasn't finished after all coon boy." Shisui narrowed his eyes and dropped from the building, he landed gracefully on his feet and whipped the tanto from his back. The ninja followed quickly, landing heavily in front of the small boy and leered.

"How did you follow me here?" His eyes flashed towards the main gates where three more rogue's had walked through. Then it occured to him. When he had first stepped through the gate not one outlook officer had greeted him and asked for his information. Normally, if he hadn't been so tired, he would have noticed it and been on his guard sooner. "This is what I get for all my hard work, it figures!" Shisui stormed the man, with bursts of speed he landed on the man's shoulders and quickly dug the tanto into the top of his scalp. It wasn't by all means a practiced kill but what worked for now got it done. With his sharingan activated he searched the other three thouroughly. There weren't as strong as this first one had been but he had yet to see what their special abilites were. "I have to tell the Hokage, we need more than me out here right now!" He hissed under his breath and flickered towards the remaining three. They were easier than the first had been and he narrowed his sights. They were too easy for them to have killed the outlook officers without a sound. Something wasn't right about this. Before he had time to react his body was flung to the ground, invisble wires stretched across his skin painfully and forced him down into the dirt.

"Struggling is futile." They appeared out of nowhere, six of them circled the pinned Uchiha and laughed. Night fall had finally come and it was just him and the six shinobi that surrounded him. By now any spare people would have been safetly inside their houses. Unless by chance there were more out there than just these guys and they came to raid the village. This thought made him struggle more, grating his teeth together as the wires cut deeper into his skin.

"Dammit, I can't move at all!" The taller of the men wore a mask, it was all black with two eye holes cut around so he could see. He placed his foot at the base of Shisui's spine and pushed until he heard that gutteral yell rip through the air like he had wanted. Things would have gone much differently if they hadn't caught him then. His chakra was worn thin and his eyes strained from overusing the sharingan as much as he had. If he hadn't been so tired he wouldn't look like such a fool right now.

"What's your name?" The man in the mask bent down a nudged Shisui in the face. "Well?" As Shisui stayed quiet the man slipped his finger under th e ledge of the mask and slid it up. "My, what's a young boy like you doing in such an elite rank? Is this village really that desperate for fighters? They'll take just about anyone it seems." He ran his hand through the Uchiha's hair and pulled up, making Shisui wince as his neck strained. He closed his eyes and tried his hardest to suppress the yell that was desperately trying to spring forth. "Let me put it to you this way kid. What you did back there, killing half my men in less than two days, that's just unacceptable. I don't think you realize who we are." He took his hand and slammed Shisui's face back into the ground. "What am I left with now? Nothing but a couple of men with nothing to their name. You killed my best men, now it's just me and Karasu."

"We could kill you but that would be no fun now, would it?" The man that stood behind him was gaunt and pale, his dark eyes scattered feverishly over the area. As if something were going to burst from the shadows at any time. "What do you suppose Habiki? Should I tear his little mind to pieces?"

"I've got a better idea Karasu. You see kid, this shinobi behind me has a rare ability that works wonders when we're stuck with a case like this. He can dig inside your mind and find what's most important to you. Is it your mother? Your father? Or maybe you have a sweetheart lingering around here? Whatever the case he'll find out and when he does we'll go an slaughter them all. Then you can be left with nothing just like you did with me." The man named Habiki stood up and removed his foot from Shisui's back. "Maybe then you'll change your mind about us and join me. After all, I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with your skill. Karasu, he's all yours." Shisui's hand was inching closer to his hip pouch, inside were three shuriken, once he cut through the wire he'd be able to stop these thugs. Whatever the case he couldn't let the guy inside his head. He froze when he felt ice cold fingers wrap around his temple, he was wasting too much time!

"I'll kill you all for this, don't think you can escape me. Once I'm out of this beginner's trap I'll rip your thr-" He didn't get a chance to finish as his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. The man named Karasu hummed a small tune and it echoed around his brain like an unstoppable bell. Shisui thrashed under his hold, feeling his hands trying to get at information that couldn't be released. They would have him killed for that. It was only his luck that the man probing inside his head wasn't nearly as skilled as Inoichi was. Shisui later discovered his technique was solely based on information that he had been thinking about more than other snippets. And the last thing he ever thought about was the village and its secrets. He read names and places, it wasn't a direct feed of secrets but his heart stilled when Karasu spoke a single name.

"Uchiha Hinamei. And she's an awfully pretty one. Maybe I'll have a go at her before I kill her." Karasu smirked and stood back up, his eyes never leaving the rage that twitched in Shisui's own eyes.

"Don't you touch her! I swear, if you go anywhere near her I will show no mercy when I kill you." Habiki shook his head and nudged his foot again into Shisui's side. He bowed down and picked up Shisui's tanto, swinging it behind him as he laughed.

"You're all talk boy. We'll be back after we've all had our share of fun and then we'll discuss what to do with you." Before he could retort the men had darted off, leaving the Uchiha to struggle helplessly on the ground. If he hurried he still stood a chance at getting there before they did. His fingers desperately inched closer until he found the lock to his bag. Opening it, he fumbled a shuriken out. It took some careful planning but he managed to strike the shuriken into the wire. Once, twice, he could feel it lifting from his skin, the third hit cut it in half and as quickly as he could he stood up. His arm was going numb from the cut but that didn't matter. What was important was that he get to Hinamei before they did. Without another thought he worked his infamous body flicker and darted towards the Uchiha compound.

"They must have taken the backroads." Shisui pounced from a building top to the gates of the compound. Knowing full well they were behind him he still took carefully into the compound. Eyes aware of any movement. He reached Hinamei's house and quickly made to turn the knob. "It's locked?" He growled and pounded fiercly on the door. Since when did she ever take his advice? His eyes flashed towards the windows, easily he could break one but if those men got here and saw the window was broken they would surely know he had passed that way. Again, he pounded on the door. When it was obvious she wasn't coming he started to panic. Throwing his shoulder at the door until a better idea flashed in his head. He closed his eyes and when they reopened they were a bright scarlet. Their chakra flared up outside the gates of the compound, they were quickly closing in. But judging from the size of their chakra they wouldn't pose much of a problem. It was Hinamei's involvement he had to worry about. He darted towards her bedroom window and quickly pounded on that. A candle was lit by her bed and through the pane he could hear her scream at his sudden appearance. "Hinamei, let me in dammit!" Her dark eyes looked back at him and he felt his heart ache. He had brought them straight here, all because his guard was carelessly down. He watched anxiously as she stumbled over to the window. She unlatched it and he pulled himself in. He was running out of time, at this rate they would be there any minute. He held his hand out, "Where's your katana?" Shisui could feel his body giving in, no matter how hard he tried he could feel his voice tremble. Hinamei fell back and opened her mouth in shock.

"W-what?" Shisui glanced over at her nervously and she shut her eyes, afraid.

"Your katana!" Finally, she was beginning to catch on and she rushed to her closet and pulled from it the tall blade Shisui had once given her as a gift. He stole it from her hands. Desperatly he turned his eyes towards her, searching her own glossy orbs. After this was all over he was going to owe her quite an apology. "Stay in here for a while alright? Whatever you do, don't come out till you know everybody is gone." Gently, he cupped her cheek in his gloved hand, leaning in towards her he edged closer to her ear. "Keep your eyes shut, no matter what." With one steady push he forced her into the closet, knowing full well she didn't have the strength to move herself. He pulled down his mask and put a single finger to his mouth. It was important she keep her mouth shut. If they were to find her at any point, she wouldn't stand a chance. _Itachi's gonna kill me_, with a grin from under his mask he blew her a kiss. Hoping his small bursts of confidence would keep her hopes up, he shut the door on her. "Alright, bring it on." A loud bang erupted from the front of the house and he winced as he felt his chakra sink lower and lower. He needed his sharingan though, now more than ever. The door splintered open and his eyes widened. All six men stood at the front of the house, the man in the mask held his own tanto in front of him. His best chance was to sneak attack, it looked as if they hadn't sensed him yet. As quietly as he could he crept towards the doorway, not wanting to bring them into Hinamei's room if he didn't have to. Across from her room was the bathroom and he edged in. They were lurking around the corner, taking their time.

"Here little kitty, daddy's got a treat for you." One called out loudly, Shisui shook angrily. _Keep your calm, this isn't going to work if you lose your temper._ "Come on sweetheart, I won't bite." He shook his head, how much more of this he could handle, he wasn't sure. Even the thought of those men looking at Hinamei made him violent, he almost couldn't contain himself. His sharingan shot left as the presence of neither Karasu or Habiki, which only meant an easier kill. The man walked by quietly, unaware of the sharp blade that was now plunging into his side. With a twist of his arm the blade shifted and he pulled it out, smirking as the spray of hot blood splattered his mask. Shisui shot out from behind the bathroom wall and with a loud yell, charged the oncoming men. The second fell easily, along with the third. It wasn't until he was slicing down the fourth did realize Karasu and Habiki were hanging behind, watching.

"Too scared to fight back?" Shisui stood tall as he was pulling the blade from the last man's chest, his lean body ready to pounce at any time. Karasu only grinned in response. "You don't know who I am or what I'm capable of, so wipe that grin off your face."

"I wouldn't praise yourself too highly, those men you just took down were nothing but pawns. Habiki and I on the other hand, you'll have to work much harder. Now where is that little flower? Tell me and maybe I won't make you watch as I have my way." Shisui's teeth grated together and angrily, he whipped the mask off of his face and tossed it to the ground. This had no longer become an assignment, this was going to be a personal kill. The masked man took a step back, holding is hand out towards Karasu warningly.

"Don't get too cocky Karasu. That boy has a sharingan." Karasu pushed aside Habiki's hand and stepped forward, obviously ignorant. Shisui just hoped they would hurry up. His vision was getting shakier and his knees threatened to give out. It was only a matter of time before his body failed him and he collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. He had no choice, he was going to have to use _that_ jutsu. Hoping it would work, if it didn't he wouldn't have enough chakra to do much else. This was definitely a last resort. He pulled his hands up to his face and made an elaborate weave of hand signs.

"I don't care what he has, the boy's going to die." Karasu made to dart at Shisui but it was already too late. His jutsu was faster. Habiki lunged at his partner, throwing his fists and gradually missing the guant man. "Habiki, wha-" his fist collided with his face and Karasu fell into the wall. Habiki struggled to speak, each word came out as a grunt and it wasn't long before his partner was begging for mercy.

"What did I tell you? You didn't stand a chance against me." Habiki reached down and snapped Karasu's thin neck. Shisui's hands fell and before Habiki realized he had control of his body again the blade had already been lodged into his chest. "And before you die I want you to know. I'm not a part of this branch because we're desperate, I'm here because I _am_ the best of the best." The katana twisted and Habiki choked on the blood that rose in his throat. He was dead, they all were. Almost instantly Shisui's sharigan faded and his eyes returned to their normal charcoal color. He had to brace his aching arm against the wall just to stop himself from falling. Never had his chakra been so low, his body felt useless and heavy now. Slowly, he inched towards Hinamei's room, using the wall to support his body as he moved. His head began to swim and he realized he wasn't far from passing out. But he stumbled into Hinamei's room and slid the door shut, gasping as he did. "Hinamei, whatever you do, don't leave this room." He didn't get a chance to find out if she had heard him or not though as his eyes fell shut and he hit the floor in a record five seconds.

* * *

It was the pain that woke him up. His eyelids were heavy but he forced them open, blinking away the dizzyness he found himself staring at the speckled tiles of a hospital ceiling. "Hinamei!" He shot up and instantly regretted it. He slapped a hand to his arm and clenched his eyes shut. That cut, he had let it bleed for far too long now. The damage it might have done to his arm was nothing he wanted to think about.

"If you don't be quiet you'll wake her." Shisui tore his eyes to his left, eyeing the nurse curiously. When the nurses blue eyes met his she motioned with one finger behind him. Hinamei sat curled up in a chair, her head resting on her knees as she gently breathed in and out. Even with her eyes shut he could tell she had spent most of the night crying. "When we found you she was cradling you, she must have thought you were dead. She's been here all night you know." His eyes softened and he looked down. As bandaged and sore as he was he couldn't help but feel guilty. This was all his fault, he was getting overconfident and in turn careless. Whatever the case it couldn't happen again.

"How much longer will I have to stay here? I've got important matters to attend to." The nurse shook her head and put down the book she was reading.

"We're keeping you one day, I think that's reasonable. It's only thanks to us you'll be keeping that arm considering you hadn't wrapped the gash. Calm down, you're a captain right?" He nodded and she waved her hand. "Lord Hokage stopped by earlier, he told me to keep you as long as we like. He seemed happy just to see you were alive still. After all that you had done I think we were all surprised you were still breathing when we got there." He eased back into his pillow and sighed, feeling like a child again. After witnessing what he had last night he knew what he had to do, but how much time he had left he wasn't sure. The nurse stood and told him that she'd come if he pressed the button, leaving Hinamei and Shisui in the room alone. She stirred when the door shut, blinking at the light until she saw Shisui smiling at her from the bed.

"You're alright?" She asked quietly, when he nodded her eyes lit up and she threw herself at him. He stifled a wince as she wrapped her arms fully around his neck and squeezed. But he couldn't complain, her warm body felt good against his. He really couldn't understand what Itachi used to complain about.

"The question is if you're alright?" She pulled away and sat at the edge of his bed, finger wrapping nervously around a thread of hair. "Hinamei?"

"Shisui I'm more than alright. You nearly killed yourself trying to save me though, you really didn't have to act so reckless." Her eyes drifted off and he knew exactly what had crawled into her mind. Selfishly, he bit back an angry retort, tired of seeing her stress over Itachi so often. After all she was right, he did nearly kill himself trying to save her. The least she could do was acknowledge it a bit more. "I'm sorry," she gave a flustered wave with her hand and stood up. "I'm being rude." She bent down and clenched her eyes shut, unwilling to bring herself up to look at him. "Thank you Shisui, I really owe you one." The tears were rising up, feeling that pain in her chest again, always thinking of Itachi. She really needed a distraction. He could hear the tremor in her voice and he sighed, not willing to blame her. Itachi had vaguely told him what had happened three nights ago. Not enough to understand but enough to realize he was really going to do Hinamei in for a long, painful month.

"Shut up Hinamei, tell you what, you can repay me by crawling in here with me and keeping me company till they let me out of this place." He grinned and happy to take the posistion she kicked off her shoes and slipped in next to him. She tossed her hand over his body and softly nuzzled into his chest. Gladly soaking in the comfort Shisui naturally gave off. To the best of his abilities he held her, his eyes relaxed back as the pain was subsiding.

"You're like the brother I never had, I'm really glad I met you Shisui." She softly mumbled it into his chest but as he heard it his eyes softly opened. _Brother?_ Normally, her small pointless statements were easy to overlook but he found himself unusally bothered by that title. He blinked at the ceiling and then looked down at Hinamei, having his own emotions dawn on him. Her eyes soft and bruised, the way she nuzzled his body every now and then. It all made perfect sense. After having to shield his emotions for so long it was hard to recognize one when it did rear it's ugly head.

"I don't want to be your brother Hinamei." He finally said, letting his head fall back against the pillow. A part of him was relieved she had already fallen back asleep but a different part of him desperately wanted her to know. His mind flashed back towards his best friend, knowing full well the damage he would cause if this ever got out. With a glare at the ceiling Shisui clenched the smaller girl closer to his body. "Dammit Itachi, you really do ruin everything."

* * *

Metal clashed against metal and it wasn't long before Hinamei was hunched over trying to catch her breath, _again._ "You aren't going to get far if you keep stopping to break." Shisui's arm was in a temporary holster, not that it had to be but the nurse had warned him not to move it around much. The wound was so wide that any fast movement would break the stitches open. And then he'd be right back in the hospital. He had explained to Hinamei the importance of having her train to protect herself. She didn't agree but then again she had never really been in battle.

"I still can't keep up. You're way too fast!" He scoffed and held his weapon back upright. It was kunai against katana. And despite having the upper hand she was still getting no where. "I give up. Thanks Shisui but I'm really no good at this." His eyes narrowed and he realized the only way to make her learn was if he made her angry enough to get the true potential out of her.

"Itachi doesn't like you because you're weak." It was a cheap shot, he knew, and after seeing the look dawn on her face he instantly regretted it. "He tells me you're potential rests at absolute zero. But I know better. Or at least I thought I did. It looks like Itachi might have been right after all." Her eyes narrowed coldly at him and he fought back to resist the smile. He unhooked his arm holster and threw it backwards, preparing himself for her attack. Making Hinamei mad had always been an enjoyable past time for him. At least now she was old enough to really get mad and make her move. Hinamei's hand tightened around the handle and she responded faster than he thought she would. He held his kunai up and blocked the hit from the sword. She swung lower, aiming for his midsection. He only escaped the hit by jumping out of the way. "If you can adjust to my speed than everyone else will be easy to hit!" He perched on the edge of the wall, waiting for her next move.

"Shisui this isn't a lesson anymore! You two don't know the first thing about me, I should have known you'd follow Itachi. You always did." She smirked and let it be his turn to narrow his eyes. The hand that held the kunai dropped and he frowned. Had she really just gotten the better of him? "You acted more like the lost puppy than I did. It's sad really."

"Hinamei, stop. I didn't me-" She took another swipe at him and quickly he lunged for her. His hand caught her arm before she had a chance to bring it down and she dropped the katana to the floor, frightened. Shisui's sharingan had sprang back open, he wasn't kidding around any more. Quickly she jumped back, tearing her hand from his.

"Are you going to attack me now too?" Her voice was deadly cold and it took a second for him to realize what had happened. He deactivated his sharingan and shook his head, wordlessly he stepped over and retrieved his kunai from the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I should have realized you were only trying to help." Shisui stood back up and looked at her, his eyes serious and emotionless.

"We both know what you said was true. But not for long." He was speaking mostly to himself but Hinamei stood by and listened. Her mouth getting tighter with every word. "Maybe they were right about him, his arrogance has gotten out of hand and for once I'll be the one finally a step ahead." His eyes flashed back towards Hinamei and he smiled, "Thank you Hinamei."

"You're talking about Itachi aren't you? What has he done this time?" There that came the feeling again. Shisui clenched his hand close to his chest, why was she always so concerned about Itachi? Didn't she realize that so many more people cared about her? She needed to know, even if she didn't accept it she needed to hear it from him. He walked over to her and slipped both his hands into hers, looking into her eyes with a seriousness she hadn't ever seen from Shisui. She was going to learn about Itachi one way or another.

"It's not what he's done but what he's planning to do. I was given the assignment to keep tabs on him for a while. This is almost his sixth month in this division so it's possible it's just the stress. But more and more of the men on the police force are starting to talk that he's acting stranger with each passing day. They don't trust him anymore." Shisui brought his eyes from her face, it was hurting her just to hear it. When Itachi did take action she wouldn't know what to do. His hands squeezed harder, unbearing to think of Itachi hurting her. He had to get her better with that weapon and fast. He hadn't mentioned that his biggest concern for teaching her to fight was solely based on his fear of Itachi attacking her.

"Do you trust him Shisui?" She wasn't looking at him when she spoke, but her voice was strong and serious. Maybe he should have given her more credit. Hinamei knew what Shisui would say. He had made it obvious from the start. But even if everyone lost faith in him she was sure Itachi would pull through. He always did.

"I really don't know anymore..." Gently, she took her hands back from Shisui and for a slight second he thought that maybe he had said too much. But instead of leaving, Hinamei leaned forward and slid her arms under his. Her body snugly fit into his and his eyes shut painfully. He wanted to push her away and tell her not to do that anymore. He couldn't handle being so close and yet he was still just a friend towards her. Itachi didn't deserve her anyway, he never did. "Hinamei..." She pulled away slightly and looked up at him with those bruised, dark eyes of hers. Her mouth trembled but she tried hard to hide it. As his hands lifted he knew he should have stopped himself there. He never meant to spiral this far out of control. Gently his fingers lifted her chin higher, her eyes widened but she didn't pull away. And he did what he felt like Itachi never deserved to do. He closed his eyes and softly pressed his mouth to hers. Warm lips gently crushing, his hands moved and cupped her cheeks and even if she hesitated for a moment she gently wrapped her arms around him in response. The world stopped, for a slight second he knew he had done the right thing. It wasn't until she pulled away did he realize that he had simply done it at the wrong time. She looked up at him, watching the guilt flit across her eyes and he couldn't take it. "I'm sorry Hinamei-" He quickly left her alone and she realized almost numbly that Shisui had been the one to steal her first kiss.

A spot she once said was reserved for anyone but Itachi. With a weak smile she put her fingers to her lips, maybe she should learn not to speak so soon.

And who said Uchiha men didn't fall in love?


	24. The Death of Shisui Uchiha

**A/N**: Now before you start understand that this chapter has a lot of flashbacks, all of which are in italics like usual. Sorry if it gets confusing! I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter, in my opinion it marks the moment Itachi really became who he is now. Which is why this chapter totally kills me :'(

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three:

"The Death of Shisui Uchiha."

* * *

_"Can't you see why I don't want her around? She's annoying and useless. Keep trying to slow your self down for her and soon you'll be just as useless as she is." Itachi shot him a powerful look, one that would send any other child scrambling. But as usual Shisui just waved his hand in Itachi's face._

_"She has potential, you're just too self centered to see it. Besides, can't you see she likes you? That's the whole reason she keeps coming back, for you." The younger Uchiha made a small, disgruntled noise. Turning his head up as he often did when he found himself lost for words. Shisui smiled at his younger companion and turned away, feeling like he was invading on something a little more private than he had previously thought. "You like her, don't you?" Itachi scoffed and kicked a rock ahead of him. It bounced until it fell into the gutter, making a small splash in the water._

_"Absolutely not. Why would I waste my time on such an urchin? The joke of the Uchiha clan, her whole family is. It's not my fault I'm forced into associating with her." They walked next to each other till they reached the compound gates. It had been a long day, Shisui could feel his eyes tugging shut._

_"I think you'll come around. Sooner or later." Itachi turned on his heel, sending one hand up in a mock wave as he pretended to ignore the parting words Shisui had left him with. He had come to realize that as much as Itachi complained about her, he still managed to bring Hinamei's name into the conversations without fail, every day. "Children, I swear."_

* * *

Shisui walked home, now that he felt like he was safetly away from Hinamei, he was taking his time to think what had just happened over. It was true, he liked Hinamei differently then she liked him. And he was all right with that. Nothing would change anyway, she was as it still stood, Itachi's fiance. Just thinking about how guilty she felt right now tore him up. How could he have been so careless? Even if Itachi didn't show it he was still thouroughly attached the her, and if he caught wind of their kiss surely he wouldn't be happy. All he had to do was find her tomorrow and say that it was all a big misunderstanding. She'd overlook it, he nodded to himself happily. Nothing would change, or at least he hoped. "It was one small kiss! Besides, it's not like it was her first kiss or anything. Surely Itachi had claimed that long ago." He stopped walking for a second and thought back. Itachi hardly liked to be hugged by her, was it possible he hadn't even really kissed her before? He remembered the look of shock on her face when he pulled away. The way she touched her fingers to her lips as if she'd never felt anything like it. The Uchiha ran a hand through his hair and sighed. So maybe he had stolen her first kiss. And maybe things would forever be different between them from now on. There was nothing he could do to fix it now.

He resumed walking and let his mind wander away from Hinamei. Automatically his thoughts fell on Itachi and the conversation he had held with the head of the police force only earlier that week.

_"Shisui, don't leave yet. There's something else I forgot to talk to you about." His hand floated over the door handle before it was back by his side and he turned halfway to face Rin Uchiha. The grey haired man was a captain on the Konoha Police Force, also a counsel member of the clan's. "It's about Itachi." Shisui leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. So they had noticed it to. "Do you have any idea why he's been acting so strange lately? He's been speaking out against the clan, he hasn't gone to the last two clan meetings and he walks around like he's keeping a secret, it's unlike him."_

_"My only guess captain is the stress from the new division he got transferred to, it's a lot more difficult than were he previously came from." Rin looked down at his folded hands, obviously not taking that for an answer._

_"Keep tabs on him for a while. Something tells me it's not just the stress that's making him behave like he is. This order is above all orders given to you by Danzo. This is privately assigned by the clan and I expect you will carry it out and report back soon with some valuable information." Shisui bowed, glad for once that his face was hidden by the Tankuki mask as he clenched his eyes shut. Unable to help the fact that he was betraying Itachi. "And remember, the safety of the clan could be at risk. This is more important than you know. If he is planning to betray the clan our whole existence could be put on the line. He knows all of our secrets and for years he has been attending clan meetings. What do you suppose would happen if he had been relaying that to the enemy?" Itachi was cruel but he doubted that he would betray the clan like they were assuming he would. None of them truly knew Itachi, even Fugaku himself probably didn't know his son as well as Shisui did._

_"I understand, I won't fail you captain. I will have my report on your desk come next thursday morning." He bowed and Rin merely smiled in response._

_"Good to hear Shisui. You're excused."_

_"Yes sir." Shisui left the office as soon as he could, desperate for fresh air. It was then he had to question what was more important-the clan or Itachi's foolish ideals. He nodded firmly to himself and took off, he would do his best and only prayed that Itachi could one day forgive him._

Towards his back he felt the faint flicker of another presence, giving way with a large chakra flare up. A small smile graced the Uchiha's lips and he stopped walking, turning his head slightly he acknowledged the other presence. "Aren't you a little old to still be trying to sneak up on me like that?" He turned his body around and faced Itachi with his head held high. After all, he had been wondering how long it would take for Itachi to come after him.

"You knew I was watching the entire time." Itachi's face was a blank mask, never breaking his sights away from Shisui once. "Why Shisui?" The older boy rolled his shoulders and shut his eyes, he almost had to ask himself the same question.

"Why what? Why did I tell you that the clan was starting to question you," He turned his eyes back towards Itachi, sharingan ablaze. "Or that I kissed Hinamei?"

"Are you insinuating that you want to fight me Shisui? In your state that would be an unwise choice to make. I can see that you can hardly move that arm of yours as it is." His eyes flickered and momentarily he looked away, quickly bringing his eyes back towards the older boy. "My confrontation has nothing to do with _her,_ please, do as you will she's of no use to me anymore." The slight waver in his voice didn't go unnoticed and he quickly spoke again. "I'm curious though as to why you took that assignment in the first place. Are you truly that threatened by me?" Shisui scoffed, his hand ready to grab a kunai if it came to it. He didn't like the tone Itachi spoke with, it was so empty and cold. This wasn't the same person anymore.

"It's not that I'm threatened by you Itachi, more like I don't know what is going on in that head of yours and I'm dying to find out."

"Then why tell me? Now that I know you were set up to spy on me, why would I let you close to me again?" Shisui struggled to find the answer. A part of him wanted Itachi to be found out and punished for his crimes against the clan and yet, he couldn't bring himself to hide it. He wasn't that type of person, even if it meant he had failed as a shinobi. Itachi was still his best friend, that wouldn't ever change.

"I'm not your enemy. Please, forgive me. It was never my intention to turn my back on you, what choice did I have? Maybe I thought that if you knew you could understand better-that I'm only a pawn to these people. As are you. We will live and die in our clan, it's how it's always been."

"If that's how you choose to live your life Shisui, by all means do it. But as for me I refuse to die feeling like I had done nothing useful with my life. Our clan is blind, and you are becoming no different. Don't act so naive, you know what they have been discussing. Can you honestly say you agree with it?" The older boy's eyes widened and he forced himself to avert his eyes elsewhere. The coup d'etat is what he spoke of. His fists clenched and he could feel the stiches in his arm straining.

"What choice do I have? I might not agree with them but there is nothing I can do to stop them. And you're an even bigger fool than I thought if you think you could!" Itachi cast his eyes back and he pulled himself into a pouncing posistion.

"Shisui, follow me. There are better places we could discuss this. After all, it would be most unwise of me to speak openly of my feelings in the middle of the clan's compound. As you've said, they've all lost faith in me." He bolted upwards and dissapeared out of view. Shisui had no choice, this needed to be settled rightly. He followed Itachi's lead and soon the road was clear. No sign that either boy had been there.

He heard the faint sound of a trickle of water as he landed and Shisui looked around confused. "The Nakano river? Why here?" Itachi put his head back and closed his eyes. Relishing in the soft heat of the sun.

"It's peaceful here and empty. You don't like it?" He straightened up and Shisui only walked around, surveying the area.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's more like I think you're not telling me everything. You came here with a plan." He turned around and saw himself reflected in Itachi's sharingan. He looked tired and ashamed, and he knew Itachi thought the same thing. "You want to kill me don't you?" Itachi watched him from where he stood, as he put his head down Shisui found himself wishing he had said goodbye to Hinamei before he left. The outcome of this soon to be battle didn't look good. He was injured and still exhausted. And if he knew Itachi right, the boy had already laid out every step to this fight. "You talk about how useless this clan has become and say that you want no part in it. But don't you realize? If you keep lusting after that forbidden power you will be no better than the rest of them. Just another blood hungry fool who thought he could harness the mangekyo. Itachi...think about what you're about to do..." Itachi crouched down and with his sharingan activated, he held his hand upwards.

"Prepare yourself Shisui, I promise I will not hold back."

Shisui momentarily let his gaze wander to the sky, it was one of those odd winter days that felt more like early spring and yet he still refused to complain. His chest ached at what he was about to do but as any true shinobi would have done he turned back towards Itachi and held his hand up defensively. "Neither will I."

Itachi had changed in almost every way from the day Shisui met him and now they stood across from each other-death hanging from a string. It was pointless to resist, as much as he resented having to fight he knew it would come eventually. Even if Itachi had changed, his stubborn personality hadn't faded at all...

_"Hey brat, go find somewhere else to train. I've already got dibs on this place." Shisui tossed a kunai up in the air and caught it, glaring at the smaller boy as he continued to kick at a broken plank. "Did you hear me, I said go find somewhere else!" The boy spared half a glance back and grunted. He couldn't have been any older than four and yet he had the nerve to carelessly disregard Shisui! It was an act that he refused to ignore. "Kid, do you have any idea who you're messing with?" The older boy wrapped his fingers around the kunai and without hesitation he threw it at the boy, not hard enough to stab but enough to get his point across. The young boy spun around and with another kunai he hit it out of mid air and glowered at Shisui. It was safe to say he hadn't been expecting the boy to respond so quickly._

_"I don't care who you are, I'm the one training so why don't you go find somewhere else to train." The young Itachi threw a punch and the wood splintered beneath his attack. He quickly straightened himself up and turned around. "Did you not hear me?" Shisui's patience had worn thin and the seven year old boy stepped forward on one foot with his eyes wide and offended._

_"Don't talk to me that way! You're hardly able to walk on your own two feet, where do you get off ordering me around like that?" Shisui wasted no time, he darted over to Itachi and judging by the look on his young face he had caught the boy off guard with his speed. Steadily, his hands wrapped around the young boy's shirt and he pulled him up to eye level. "Just go back home to mommy, surely she doesn't know her little boy is playing pretend with real weapons." He smirked and Itachi squrmed in his grip. And when at last he thought the child had given up he felt a searing pain cut across his hand. The boy had cut him with his own kunai! Shisui painfully jumped back and nursed at his wound. Wanting more than ever to plummet the small child as he stared smugly onward._

_"Serves you right. Now if you want to be nicer I can share. But only if you promise to shut up so I can concentrate. And here, you can have your kunai back." The boy tossed Shisui the stained blade and turned back towards his target. As annoying as the kid was he had to admit, the boy had guts and it was something definitely worth admiring._

Itachi's hits were easy to evade, each swipe was easily defected but in turn his own strikes were becoming sloppy. It was strange how Itachi chose not to use a weapon but he didn't mind. In a way it felt almost personal now. They weren't just fighting as shinobi they were fighting as friends. A true test of power if there ever was one. But despite his fast movements Shisui realized that Itachi had already gained the upper hand. Purposely, Itachi had brought him to a place he had hardly ever been to, and Itachi made it clear he was already familiar with the terrain. Two, Shisui stepped into the fight not realizing at first what was about to happen while Itachi had already planned out the start and end of the battle. It was a cheap and unfair advantage but he couldn't help but envy his sharp wit. Shisui slid backwards and brought his hands together, even if Itachi refused to do anything but thaijutsu, that wasn't going to stop him. With as much leverage as he could muster, Shisui bounced backwards into the air and at the peak of his jump he weaved the hands signs and circled the phoenix flower around Itachi. His cold, red eyes never slipped as he thought his next move in advance. As Shisui fell backwards he weaved another hand sign and yelled, "fireball jutsu!" Itachi shouldn't of had time to dodge it but when the smoke cleared he couldn't help but grate his teeth in aggravation. There was no way Itachi was faster than he was! He landed and looked to his left and right, Itachi was hiding somewhere out there. Waiting for his moment. His eyes darted towards his left shoulder, there, behind him! He turned on his heel and slipped a kunai from his sleeve. When it made contact the clone dissapeared in a cloud of smoke. "Where the hell could he be then?" Shisui hadn't ever been this frustrated. Itachi was a powerful opponent but he was also the kind of opponent who liked to play with his victim, similar to a game of cat and mouse.

It wasn't fair, Shisui had been training his sharingan to maximum power since the day he got it and yet, Itachi's felt more powerful. His hands shakily were brought together, his one ace in the hole and yet his chances looked slim.

His mind control jutsu would have been effective if Itachi didn't have such a keen sharingan. When thrown at the person from the front his jutsu is easily blocked if they both have the capabilities to use the same dojutsu. His only chance was that he hit Itachi from the back, if he could even find the weasel now. He stood center of the grounds, surrounded by a thin amount of trees. His eyes were turning as he waited, trying to catch any movement that might have sprang up around him. "You're careless Shisui." His eyes flashed towards the source of the voice but before he could make a move, three shurikan shot from behind the base of a tree.

"What is this, child's play?" He brought his own kunai up and carefully disarmed all three shurikan.

"It's a distraction." The voice came from the right of him and his eyes shook in alarm. Another clone? The real Itachi had appeared next to Shisui and while his guard was focused on the clone he had behind the tree he took his chance to throw a hit towards the older's face. But his speed kept him from making the hit as Shisui's arm came up and blocked it by a mere three inches. He only had so many hands though and as Itachi threw his leg up to kick, Shisui realized that he had already encountered fatal mistake number one. He stepped backwards and slipped back on the small pebbles that lined the shore to the river, losing his balance. Without his chakra prepared enough to counter it, he fell into the water and hissed in pain. His stitches had re-opened and as the water came up the length of his arm it was draining the blood two times faster than it should of been. He looked up at Itachi through one eye, his breathing was heavy and yet he willed himself to stand and face Itachi again.

Slowly he stood, already he had started losing feeling in his wounded arm and as the river was dotted with spiraling smoke like streams of blood, he could feel his defenses getting weaker. "Why aren't you using your weapons? It would be much easier to strike me that way, I thought you said you weren't going to hold back." Itachi breathed heavily like Shisui was, at the speed they had been moving his chakra was falling fast, he was having to concentrate his chakra in order to keep up with Shisui. And even with the speed he had managed Itachi found himself still struggling to match his opponenets. He had limited time to act but he had a good reason for his hand to hand combat-

"It wouldn't look like much of a suicide if you were covered in gashes now would it?" Shisui halted, his eyes wide. A suicide? How could he plan something so risky? And here he thought Itachi had beaten him, surely he wouldn't bypass the police force with a forged suicide.

"You never did have much of an imagination Itachi. That's_ not _going to work, for what reason would I have to kill myself?"

"For the same reason I'm going to kill you. Freedom. Despite what you say I know you want it, you yearn for it. I see the way you watch the other villagers and envy their life styles. So simple and free, face it-you might have the talent but you don't have the will, you weren't destined to be a shinobi. Stop trying to alter fate already, it will get you no where." Shisui charged forward, relentlessly focused to prove Itachi wrong.

Itachi knew nothing about him.

He might at one point wanted freedom and an easier way of living but he would die for the clan and what it stood for.

He wasn't called a prodigy because of sheer luck, it was because he knew he was the best of the best and it was time Itachi understood what it meant to be a part of something bigger than what he could ever hope to be. Two blurs ran at each other, with one hit struck and missed they flew back, ready to charge again once their feet hit the ground. Shisui had to fall back however, feeling the wound widen every time he jerked his arm in place. It wasn't fair, his disadvantages far outweighed Itachi's. "You're going to die soon anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much." Itachi's voice reached him and Shisui glanced up. He didn't have time to cease the bleeding, all he could hope was that the match ended before he had been bled dry. He darted back towards Itachi, determination on his pale face. With each swing the blood ran thicker, faster. And it wasn't long before he figured he only had a max of ten minutes left before the loss would truly take effect. But people did often call him lucky. His moment stood in front of him as each boy pounced up to deliver an air strike, but with a burst of speed he managed to move his body five inches out of Itachi's strike range. The younger Uchiha glanced back with wide eyes, there wasn't anything he could do to evade it without the technique Shisui had mastered long ago. The older boy's hand pulled a kunai out from his pouch and he held it outright in front of him with his sights set on Itachi's temple. And after years of training together Itachi knew, Shisui's aim was deadly accurate. He could tear Itachi apart before they hit the ground.

It was only Shisui and Itachi lingering on the edge of a single moment. Kill or be killed. This was the way of a shinobi, and Shisui knew long ago that he would be faced with difficult choices. Each one having an important reaction and your life would hang in the open, all depending on what choice you decided to make. The right one or the wrong one. His hand shook and then with a fierce yell he threw it full force at the ground. He had made his choice and only could hope that while he had failed himself, he hadn't failed the entire clan too.

He had made the second and final fatal mistake, he had shown mercy. They landed and Shisui clapped a hand to his wound, he was in too much pain to continue and he was tired of fighting. None of it matter anymore, it hadn't even mattered when they started the fight. He had known from the beginning that he wouldn't ever be able to kill Itachi, not even as his life dwindled away in front of him. And maybe Itachi was right, maybe it had all been luck that he stood where he did that day. As it was, he had failed on so many different accounts that he realized the only reason they allowed him to keep doing what he did was because he had been blessed with good genes. Nothing more. He couldn't even bring down the enemy because he couldn't stand to smudge out his emotions. A basic rule any real shinobi would have been able to follow.

_Maybe I'm weaker than you after all._

Itachi, growled with frustration as he ran towards Shisui who stood there limply with his eyes on the ground. Unlike Shisui, Itachi didn't hesitate when he forced his knee into the older boy's stomach and the latter fell to his knees with his eyes clenched in pain. A rattling cough left Shisui's mouth and as he held his hand closely to his lips he could feel the spatter of blood draining through. Itachi couldn't take anymore, he grabbed the older Uchiha's shirt and pulled him up to eye level. "Why are you holding back Shisui, you're better than this!" With blurry vision Shisui opened his dark, charcoal eyes. Itachi almost looked like he was in pain through the haze. Like the reality of it all had finally graced him. "Answer me dammit!" He had never heard Itachi's voice sound so alarmed and frantic. In response Shisui wrapped his own hands firmly around Itachi's plated wrists and forced a smile. As his vision cleared he could see his eyes hadn't deceived him. Itachi was wide eyed and frightened-already the guilt that came a long with the mangekyo sharingan was too much to bear.

"You idiot." He kept smiling even though it pained him and as the blood ran down the side of his mouth and onto Itachi's hands he couldn't dare let it falter. "You've already won. Why keep trying?" Itachi's grip loosened and before Shisui's vision blurred again he caught Itachi struggling to keep his tears in, like he hid away everything at all times. It wasn't until now that Shisui realized he had never seen Itachi cry. "Aren't you tired of keeping it in Itachi? It hurts, I know." Shisui winced and his legs wobbled beneath him. If Itachi let go now he would have fallen and been unable to get back up on his own. His sleeve was soaked in blood and it ran down and wrapped around his wrist, creating a small puddle centered on the ground between them as it fell. "Nine years and not once did you show me how you felt. Stupid kid." He could feel his voice fading, if Itachi didn't kill him the blood loss surely would. "You always had something to prove. Aren't you tired of hiding it?" Itachi was shaking and he looked up into the eyes of Shisui. They were growing dull and lifeless, he didn't have long. A small gutteral sound tore from Itachi's throat and he let his head fall towards his arms. Even as the world around him spun, Shisui could still feel the hot tears running over his hands. Itachi had pulled him closer and he was now close enough the he leaned his head over to rest it on Itachi's. The younger boy made another choking sound and shook harder.

It was almost like Itachi didn't know how to cry.

"Will you forgive me Shisui?" His voice wavered but Shisui managed to smile again and nod his head as he tried his best to stand tall. He couldn't see straight anymore but he didn't need to. He felt the anger wash out of Itachi, the battle had ended. It was no longer a fight to the death as it was time for last words and final goodbyes.

"You know how I am with grudges," The internal damage Itachi had given to him was kicking in, he found it difficult to even speak. But like Itachi he willed himself to keep going. The older boy screwed up his face before he managed to choke the rest of his words out. "I'll forget about this fight within the hour. Don't worry." Even when dying, Shisui was still Shisui.

"I'm sorry." Itachi blinked away the tears and he walked Shisui back towards the water. Struggling to keep Shisui upright as his legs shook and threatened to collapse. He was fading in and out of conscioussness as Itachi laid him down by the shore. This would end fast. He submerged Shisui's head and shoulders under the cold water, he had to force himself to look away as Shisui struggled to the best of his ability. His hand reached up and half heartedly clawed at Itachi's metal plated forearm. "I'm so sorry." It took less than two minutes for Shisui's arm to fall limp. And as Itachi stood and looked down at his best friends corpse he couldn't help but feel like Shisui had almost welcomed death. Despite what he had said he hadn't given his all from the start, he never wanted to hurt Itachi.

It didn't take long to write the suicide note, when it was finished he crushed it in his palm and threw it over his shoulder. Sparing one last glance at Shisui, Itachi fled. His heart left behind in the cold depth's of the water right where it deserved to be.

* * *

_"Why are you helping me?" Itachi glanced up at the older boy as they sat under the shade of a tree and ate their lunch. It was three months before Itachi turned five and each day ahead of that had been spent training with Shisui, relentlessly he worked him but the smaller boy didn't mind. He could see himself improving day after day._

_"Because you have a lot of potential kid. Watch, you'll be the Uchiha favorite-after me of course. And it will all be thanks to this guy." He pointed a thumb at himself and grinned. Killing two birds with one stone had never been easier. Itachi looked down at his food and quietly set it back down. He wasn't feeling very well. "Itachi? What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing. I've just got a bit of a headache is all." Shisui lowered his own food and shot a warry glance at the boy. He couldn't have him getting sick and ruining the schedule now. With a sigh he pushed his food away and stood up, dusting himself off as he did._

_"If you've got a headache then you should just head back home. You won't be much help if you're going to be getting sick." He made to pick up his box and walk away but a tight grip on his sleeve made him stop. "Huh?" Itachi looked up at him with a fierce determination in his eyes. The four year old pulled Shisui closer and made it clear he wasn't going to be let go that easily._

_"Don't be stupid, I can still train with you! If a headache stops me from getting better how will I ever improve? Any real shinobi wouldn't back down because he wasn't feeling well!" Shisui blinked before unlatching Itachi's small fingers with a sigh. This kid really had it out for himself. It was just like the last day and the day before. He would stop at nothing to improve and make a point. Even if it meant trying his hardest to show Shisui up when clearly the older boy was far out of his league. He always had something to prove. Itachi stood up and held his arms close to his face. "Now attack me!" Shisui hesitated for a slight moment before a slick grin took over. This was why he was helping Itachi, because that flame that burned in the child's heart motivated himself to try harder. After all, the day he let a kid one up him was the day he'd be staring death in the face._

_"Fine, but don't cry when you lose." Itachi looked up at him and matched his sarcastic manner. The younger boy's eyes were adrift with something Shisui had never seen and he reminded himself why he was there. It was then Itachi spoke with such a calm demeanor that for a slight second Shisui almost believed him._

_"We'll see who's the one crying at the end of this match Shisui. We'll see."_


	25. When All Else Fails

**A/N:** So the time has finally come, the next chapter will be the end ;_; Or at least until I get part deux up and running. So if anyone is interested, be on the lookout for the second half of this story, titled "Kingdom by the Sea." For reasons everyone will soon come to find out ;) I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm so happy I got as many reviews and kind feedback as I did! Seriously, thank you everyone!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four:

"When All Else Fails."

* * *

In the heart of the Uchiha compound stood a small for her size, thirteen year old girl. Her chest rapidly rose and fell and in the clutch of her hands was a katana still a little too big for her. Her dark eyes were stationary, boring holes into the splintered tree that stood in her backyard. She had been at this for over three hours now and still she had no intentions of quitting anytime soon. It was the only way her mind would stay busy, if she sat idly around her mind would only run for miles like it often did. Her speed was getting better, even in the small time she had trained, she felt her legs move through the air as if they weighed no more than a feather did. All she could do was hope Shisui would come back and help her again, after all, it was only thanks to him that she had managed to get as far as she had.

And oddly, she had suddenly found herself desperate for his company. Despite telling herself it had nothing to do with his appealing arrogance and flattering actions, she couldn't shake him from her head. Over the course of the eight years she had been what some would call 'friends', never once had he treated her with same kind of cruelty Itachi often found amusing. And in moments like these, she needed that kind of comfort. Even if it pained her to consider the consequences that would befall the both of them if such actions were to be taken. With an aggitated yell she cut the blade through the air and stuck it firmly into the trunk of the tree. So firmly in fact that when she made to pull it out the stubborn tool refused to budge. "Come on," she said to herself as she gave a large tug and only managed to wobble backwards on her own unsure two feet. She spent the next five minutes bracing herself against the tree as she pulled, but the instrument was firmly planted and showed no signs of giving in to either her efforts or her futile jabbering. Finally, she slapped her hands to her side and stalked off, mumbling words that her mother would have surely slapped her for if she had been present.

A subtle breeze swept in and cooled her sweat tinged forehead, rustling her tangled locks as it ran through her. Days like these, they shouldn't ever turn out as badly as they usually did. Once the breeze died down she shuddered at how dirty she suddenly felt. Sweaty and dusted with the amount of dirt she had kicked up during her training, never had a bath sounded so appealing. The slender girl stepped in through her house, not bothering to kick off her dirty shoes until she entered the bathroom. She stripped of her damp clothes and threw them in a corner, and within three minutes was submerging herself in the shallow depths of water two times too hot. She shot back up and with a sigh of relief, rung out her hair. It had been quite a day, and now that the chaos of it all was washing away she had a chance to truly think over what exactly had happened.

To her dismay her thoughts automatically tuned in to the one sullen Uchiha she tried hardest not to consider.

Itachi hadn't been home for well over two weeks now, and despite her mental scolding, she couldn't help but wonder if all had gone well on his mission. But wondering something like that was like most times unneccesary. Being the pride and glory of the Uchiha clan somewhat made clear failure was not an option, and he never failed to meet their expectations.

Unless it was like Shisui had said and they had really given up on him. Even so, she found it diffucult to imagine. What kind of clan would they be if something so small as a pubescent change in attitude spurned them into thurning their backs? No, not her clan. Shisui was often times known to exagerate, and this time she was sure he was being just as usually himself. The small girl shrunk into herself and pinned her legs close to her chest by way of her arms. Her damp fringes clutched onto her milky skin and swam around her shoulders like sea weed. She hated feeling so alone, and at times like these it almost threatened to consume her. Almost grudgingly, she reached over and grabbed the soap. And as she washed herself she had to remind herself that she couldn't dwell on her pain, nor could she scrub it away like she had been trying to do for some time now. She left the bath once the water lost its warmth and dully she pulled herself under the cover of her thin blankets.

Maybe all she really needed was a good nap and if things didn't make more sense come morning than there was no hope left. She fell asleep with her fingers crossed.

* * *

Hinamei had never prided herself for her cooking abilities. Dinner for herself often involved some sort of bread and cheese and whatever else she could find pushed into the depths of the cabinets, but it was times like these she couldn't help but feel like she was making progress.

For the past four hours of her morning (which technically wasn't morning, as she woke around ten thirty) she had spent her time slaving over the stove. Shisui had a sweet tooth, it was blaringly obvious as he didn't consider any meal actual nourishment if something coated in sugar wasn't involved. And like she had hoped, come morning she realized that the best way of fixing the situation was to go on and pretend like nothing had happened. Which was precisely what she planned to do. As she carefully placed each sweet into the small box, she made sure to arrange them like she was told to arrange flowers. The prettiest ones in front and the smaller ones to the side to accentuate how nice the first ones looked. It looked as appealing to the eye as she was sure it would taste to the mouth, and he had better been grateful too. She had never tried so harp to impress a single person. Well, except maybe Itachi, but that was null and void by this point.

She struggled to tie the pink bow on top until she was happy enough to take it how it was. Besides, he wouldn't be looking at the packaging.

After she had cleaned and prepared everything to go, she hustled into the backroom to get ready. It was a pleasent day out for Konoha, with the sun beaming and children playing in the middle of the roads like it was summer. She hadn't felt this engaged for months now and as she pulled herself into a perriwinkle blue dress she felt the desire for once to actually look put together. It was unlike her to stand at the vanity and touch up her face and hair, especially since she had quite working, it wasn't as much fun anymore to look fresh. When she was finished and content with her appearance, she slipped into a new pair of geta's and made her way out of the front door with her pretty package in hand. It was late into the afternoon by now, but she still set out with her head held high and her mind set on only one thing.

Finding Shisui and setting things straight.

The compound seemed unusually empty, spare for a few children who were enjoying their day away from the academy. She watched happily on as they laughed and she was reminded of herself, a pang in her chest warily forced her to think of something different. With her breath held she glared up the road, in order to get to Shisui's house, or at least from the shortest route, she was going to have to pass by Itachi's house. She squeezed the box in her hand and stepped confidently onwards. Until a group of three members of the police force came storming up from the road ahead of her and stopped her in her tracks. Their faces were masked with rage and dark suspiscion, and as they throttled up to Itachi's front door Hinamei took a stealhy dive behind the closest wall. She took a sharp inhale of breath as one nin knocked loudly on the front door. His voice was cold as he called out, "Is Itachi here? Come out now, we need to talk!" Her dark eyes looked at the ground in disbelief, had he finally done what Shisui had been so cautious of? Clutching the box close to her chest she wheeled around and peeked over the edge of the wall. The three men had advanced into the standing doorway and slowly, she crept out until she was shielded by the wall of Itachi's house. No doubt they knew she was there, but with her chakra bearing so much resemblance to that of an average house cat, they clearly couldn't care less. Itachi's stoic voice reached her eyes and she pressed herself tighter against the wall.

"What is it?"

"We had two men missing at last night's meeting. Why did you not come?" The accusation was clear in the man's voice, he had distrusted Itachi for a long time now and frankly was glad to see something come of it. Hinamei waited anxiously for an answer, but to her surprise Itachi remained quiet. His silence was met with more cold tones. "I understand that you've been occupied with various missions since you've joined the ANBU, your father also told us that, and he's looking over you. However, we have _no_ intent on treating you any differently."

Hinamei's eyebrows pinched together and her eyes dipped towards the ground. It seemed awfully low for the police force to be grating on him for missing a meeting, maybe she should have given Itachi more credit. It was obvious they didn't work him easy. Itachi spoke once more, so low she had to lean over the side just to catch his words. "I understand, I'll be more careful from now on. Please, leave now."

"Yeah, but before we do, there's one more thing you need to answer." Her heart stilled and she unnoticably crushed the box of sweets into her chest. "It's regarding the suicide drowning in the Nakano river last night of Uchiha Shisui." Her bright grey eyes widened slowly, breathing in every word they had spoke. There had to be a mistake, she had just seen Shisui! The box slipped from her grip and tumbled clumsily to the ground, spilling her hard work onto the dusted road. "The other man that did not arrive last night was Shisui. I thought you considered Shisui as an older brother sort of figure." Her hand braced up against the wall and she refused to blink, to breathe.

"I see...I haven't met with him recently. But that is no doubt, sad to hear." Itachi replied cooly, a tint of grief touched his words. But no one aside from the eavesdropping Sasuke really noticed.

"So we, the police force, have decided to investigate this incident fully-"

"-An investigation?" The young Uchiha cut in hastily, much to Hinamei's surprise. Itachi had never sounded so hostile speaking to someone with such a high caliber. She crawled towards the edge of the wall and shook, her fingers digging into the wooden etchings of the wall.

"This is Shisui's suicide note. We already finished the handwriting analysis, it's no doubt his writing."

"If it's a suicide, what's left to investigate?"

"For those of us that can use the Sharingan, it's quite easy to forge one's handwriting." A slight rustle of paper followed, "It's written on this small scrap of paper, his suicide note. He was feared as Shisui of the Body Flicker, and one of the most talented Uchiha. He was someone who'd do any mission called upon him by the clan. I doubt someone like him would leave something like this behind." Itachi remained silent, unmoving until his words had properly placed him.

"It's not wise to judge others by _your_ preconceptions and their appearances." At this point, Hinamei had unnoticably inched to the ground, her knees scraped with dirt and tiny pebbles. In her head she went over every small detail of what they had spoken of. Just yesterday she had seen him, kissed him. But now he was being declared dead, in less than twenty four hours-and they made it clear they thought it a homicide. But of course, who wouldn't? She knew better than any of them Shisui wouldn't have chosen that, he was so clearly ready to prove himself to everyone. But who-

_"Itachi..."_ Her eyes were wide and shot upwards, it wasn't until the three men made their way back into the street did she crawl backwards to hide herself once more.

"I'm going to leave that will to you. Take it to the ANBU and request that they investigate as well." A tall man with greying hair tossed a patronizing look over his shoulder before continuing. "I certainly hope there will be more evidence. The police force have other connections to the ANBU as well, if you try to hide anything Itachi, we'll know instantly." And evidently, she wasn't the only one housing black thoughts. A small streak of silence was interrupted with a voice so void of feeling she had to question if it had been Itachi even speaking.

"Why don't you just say it?" The three men turned their heads back to look at the still hidden Itachi and he raised his voice angrily. "You suspect me of killing Shisui."

"Itachi, if you've betrayed the clan, it _won't_ go unpunished." In the next instance, Hinamei was forced to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from shrieking. All three men flew towards the ground, with a speed she had yet to see, Itachi had struck them all.

"As I've just said," Itachi's head hung low and with eyes ablaze he detached himself completely of humanity. "It's foolish to judge others simply by your preconceptions and judgments of their appearances. You assumed that I have patience." He brought his burning eyes back up and gave a small smile, revealing the burning insanity that tainted his young mind. "The clan, the clan...you all fail to measure your own capacity and to see the depth of my capacity. And as a result you lie beaten here." Not once had she seen Itachi act like this, like he thought every ounce of him was superior and ultimately untouchable. _What is he thinking? _At this point she didn't even need to look, just the tone in his voice had frightened her pale. She had her back kept firmly against the wall and her knees were pulled in close to her chin. None of this seemed real anymore.

"Shisui was told to keep an eye on you...within that little time of your entrance into the ANBU, your actions and speech were getting stranger than ever. What exactly are you thinking?" Itachi responded as if he hadn't even heard what the man had said, instead he continued on with his patronizing speech of the clan.

"You hold onto your organization, your clan, your _name. _Don't you understand? These things limit us and our capabilities and these things deserve to be shunned. It is foolish to fear what we've yet to see and know!"

"-Itachi, stop!" Fugaku's stern voice rang out on the late afternoon air, like an order it swept around them and all was silenced. "What in the world is wrong with you? You've been acting strange lately."

"Nothing's strange Tou-san. I'm just carrying out my duty." Itachi responded, emotionless.

"Then why didn't you come last night?"

"In order to reach the height..." Itachi reached into his pocket and pulled from it a sharpened kunai. He held it up in front of his face and at first Fugaku stepped back, fearing his son would attack him. But Itachi swiped it to the left and it splintered the brick wall like it was nothing but a frail tree. Hinamei cringed as she watched the Uchiha fan take the brunt of his assualt, chipping away to the ground carelessly. "...of my capacity. I've lost all hope for this _pathetic_ clan." His cold biting words were spat out with disgust. "You forget what is most important to you because you cling to something so small and meaningless like your clan. True change cannot be made if it is bound by laws and limitations, predictions and imagination."

"What arrogance!" Fugaku stumbled over to his subordinates to help them stand again. "If you contine this nonsense, we will be forced to take you into custody!"

_Itachi please, stop already!_ She couldn't bare to see him steep so low, to change anymore than he already had. Her hands clapped around her head and she muffled a small yell of aggravation. One man lashed forward, pointing an accusing finger towards the young Uchiha. His eyes challenging, sharingan to sharingan. "I can't take anymore of this! Captain, please order an arrest!" Hinamei's eyes shot open and she snapped her head towards the five of them. She had to stop this, at any cost! But before she could move to say anything a shrill voice cut her off completely.

"Nii-san! Stop it!" Sasuke yelled from inside the shelter of the house, his voice shook with the brink of tears. Itachi's eyes widened and he slowly looked back to lock eyes with his brother.

To everyone's blatant shock, Itachi fell to his knees, head bowed in apology. Hinamei blinked from her spot on the floor, face wet with tears she hadn't realized she had shed. Her eyes were locked onto Itachi's shaking form, not realizing she had crept farther away from her hiding spot. "It is not me who has killed Shisui. But for the words I have spoken, I am deeply sorry." His voice was so quiet she had to brace herself to catch a single word. The air stilled uncomfortably until the stern voice of Fugaku raised once more.

"Lately, he has been busy with missions from the ANBU, it's been wearing him thin."

"-Captain!" One man interjected but he was quickly silenced with Fugaku's raised hand.

"The ANBU is a battalion under the Hokage's direct authority. Even we cannot arrest them without official order. Besides, I will look over my son with full responsibility." His dark eyes closed and he lowered his head in what almost appeared to be shame. "Please..." The man to his left subsided with a curt nod and they turned away from both Itachi and his father. "Itachi, let's go back inside." Footsteps receded and Hinamei was left shell shocked, she took a step back until her back bumped against the shaded wood of the house. It wasn't until a voice as sharp as a knife reached her ears did she truly start to feel dizzy though.

"Hinamei, go home." She snapped her head in his direction and momentarily locked eyes with him. He gave a vague inclination of a nod and turned away but not before a chill unlike any other fingered at her spine. As his footsteps scuffled along the dirt road she found herself unable to move from her spot, finger's outstretched towards nothing and eyes shaking like a leaf in the breeze. A door slid shut and finally Hinamei found herself free. But much too soon, she lurched forward, unable to hold back the bitter bile that had risen in her throat any longer.

* * *

Shisui was dead. Gone. Dead _and_ gone. And now that she had repeated this to herself so many times her words were starting to mesh together, the panic began to sink in.

If Itachi had gone out of his way to murder Shisui, he had truly lost it this time. There was no turning back for Itachi, his soul was black now, dirtied with the fingerprints of apathy and ill thoughts. And not even the innocence of Hinamei herself could fix him. Her logic had pointed her in one direction this time, to leave and not come back. For Itachi and Shisui were the last things binding her to this village, after all, it had been thanks to Itachi she had not left in search of her mother that one winded night. Hinamei was currently in her room, fingers clutching at every small memory she had and trying not to numb herself with tears. Her mouth was mumbling incoherent words that she didn't even realize she was making, until her legs gave way and she collapsed in a pathetic pile on her floor.

Who was she kidding, leaving the village would possibly be the single most idiotic thing she could have done. And even Itachi would have agreed to that.

Hinamei, whose skills were leveled down to hardly being able to run her own bath, had no chance of survival out there alone. She picked her head up off the ground and rolled over onto her back, splayed out on the cool wood floor, she closed her burning eyes. She had no doubt Itachi would soon leave too, after his little show he displayed not on ounce of longing for this village, unlike what he used to feel. And someone like him never sat still for too long. What worried her most though is what actions he would take after that. Shisui had been his best friend, and she could no longer tell herself that Itachi hadn't been the one to kill him. But to sink so low as to lash out like that, well, it seemed unimaginable. What could he do next to show up this? It made her sick to even imagine the possibilities. She rolled back onto her side and cradled her head in her hands, the soft beat of a headache was blooming in her skull and her eyes were reluctantly folding shut.

What choice did she have now? She had run out of options months ago and yet, she still felt the need to try. Shisui wouldn't have been happy if she kept acting like some kind of wounded rabbit her entire life. Her mouth was sour and she crawled upwards towards the bathroom desperately. She needed to rinse her mouth again.

Anything to get that awful flavor out.

When night finally came, Hinamei found herself still unable to think of anything else but them. The pale moonlight drifted over her equally ashen limbs as she bounced her dark eyes back and forth between the window and the ceiling. Her fingers clenched at the sheets and she sat up slowly, rubbing the dizziness from her eyes. Sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon, not with as many thoughts crawling in her brain as she had then. Quietly, she slid her lithe frame out of the bed and made her way into the hallway where the door to the courtyard sat unlatched. The only sound in the night was the soft patter of her bare feet as she crept out. Soft dirt squirmed between her toes as she picked up her pace into a run and with her hands outstretched in front of her she made an a-line towards the katana. Determination marred her wide doe eyes and she caught the handle of her blade as she ran past it, and with one hard push the blade tore from its gash and wobbled in her hand. She came to an immediate halt and turned to face the tree with a triumphiant smirk.

Nothing got the best of her anymore.

Hinamei tore at the tree with the sword retreating over her shoulder like a thread, and she brought it down with unimaginable force. Before the blade could stick again, she reeled back and pulled the weapon out after her. Despite what the clan said about her and her family, she was an Uchiha. She bore the strength and the will to fight like they did, and like them, she wouldn't be made a fool of so easily. With every rise and fall of her chest, she swore Itachi wouldn't leave without a fight. With every strike she delivered, she promised she would see it through till the end, even if it killed her.

For Shisui, she promised to stay strong.


	26. Rise and Fall

**A/N: **This chapter took me forever to write ;_; But I'm finally happy with the final outcome. So this is the end. Fin. Last chapter. Keep an eye out for the sequel. I should have it out by tomorrow or the day after. So thank you everyone who has stuck this out and reviewed and left nice things in my inbox. It's mean so much and I'm so excited to keep writing for you guys! Happy reading :)

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five:

"Rise and Fall."

* * *

It happened to be one of _those_ days, where the air shivered with terror as if something bad was headed that way. The sky was glossy, overcast with the washed out grey of a distant storm and it only added onto the omnious feeling drifting about. Hinamei sat on the corner of her bed, eyes lofty and out of focus while the clouds continued to roll on west. Her hand was diligently working out a series of knots in her hair and each small sigh was a hopeful wish that the day would lighten up. A week had already crawled by since the day Shisui had been declared dead, a lonely series of days that had Hinamei buried within her house. It figured, the one day she considered going into town it was looking like rain. With a shudder, she averted her gaze to the floor, blinking away the stinging feeling that prodded at her eyes. "I wonder how Itachi is doing?" With a sigh built on frustration, she swung herself backwards and turned her face into the still warm blankets. She should of hated him by now. For eveything he had done (and subsequently, hadn't done) she really should have blackened every forlorn thought of that boy. But she found herself unable to, and every time she closed her eyes she saw him, in ways she chose to remember at least.

Beneath the thick layer of clouds, the sun peeked through a slight opening and cast an eerie glow over the village. She yawned and tucked her face in closer towards the folds of the sheets, there was no point in thinking anymore. The day would continue to grow cold and she would stay in bed all day, and if that was the case she wondered what the harm would be to sleep for a few more hours. After several seconds she decided nothing sounded more appealing than sleep.

And she did just that.

One other person faintly noticed the chill that swept through the air, and with a disatisfied grunt he tore his eyes away. "I should of brought my jacket." Sasuke sat under a large tree with his home made lunch displayed out in front of him. He picked up a small bite of fish and plopped it greedily into his mouth. Shuriken training often times exhausted him, and after countless begging to his mother, he had finally gotten her to pack him larger meals. It was with dismay did he sit back against the tree and stare at his lunch box. He was too full to finish it.

"Sasuke-kun! Oh Sasuke-kun, what are you doing out here all alone?" Onyx eyes flashed back over his shoulder and with a small groan he watched as the ever flamboyant Ino and the overly reserved Sakura toddled over. The latter hung behind the blonde girl's back, eyes sweeping back and forth until she latched onto Sasuke's sight. Quickly, she tore her eyes away with a blush. "Surely you wouldn't mind if I came and kept you company." The platinum girl winked and topped it with a giggle. Even though the Uchiha compound had their own training grounds, he chose the one in the village to attend to, day after day. It wasn't just because it was bigger either, his father hardly ever passed by this one and at this point, he really didn't want his father peeking in yet.

At least not until he was as good as Itachi had been at this age.

"Actually, I'm kind of busy with training. You'll just be a distraction." Coldly, he snapped the lid back on his lunch box and sloppily re-wrapped it. "I've got to get better by next week."

"Oh, what for?" Ino mindlessly responded. He sighed, not having the heart to tell her to get lost like he wanted so badly to do, he only spared her a short look. He stood up and stretched, and then without another word he stepped away from the girls and pulled out his shuriken. He tried to ignore their presence as both girls quickly situated themselves where he had just been sitting, but it was getting harder with each whisper and laugh. But they were quickly silenced when he flashed that famous Uchiha scowl. They stayed until both girls' mothers came looking for them and excitedly, each called out to Sasuke, to which he flatly ignored. Training took root once more and his targets shot seamlessly. His dark eyes glanced at the looming sky and with a shiver, he hoped for better weather.

When Hinamei did wake, it took shape of a large bird flapping angrily at her bedroom window. Her heavy lidded eyes snapped open and with a sharp intake of breath, she tried to push her racing heart back into place. The blackbird hung at her window, beating its large outstretched wings almost furiously. Beady eyes sought her out and she shook away the impending thought of bad omens. The thin girl forced herself out of bad and slammed her hands firmly against the pane, scaring the bird and all its anger far away from her. She sighed and pressed her hand to her collarbone, surprised her heart was still in working order. Her face fell and she clambered back over to her bed, heart still slamming painfully against her ribcage. "Stupid birds," she sighed and flopped back, rubbing her hands up her face sleepily. If she kept this up she'd be lazier than ever, and then they would all really have something to talk about. Almost painfully, she crawled out of bed and slowly dragged her feet towards the hallway. She needed a bath, even if all it proved to be was another distraction.

The water ran hot till steam clouded the small, square room and she stepped it, instantly soothed by its soft floral scents. Hinamei sat in the center of the tub and blew bubbles from under the water, watching them seperate when they hit surface. Things had went on like this for about a week, it was the depression that did it.

After she had heard Itachi had killed Shisui, her mind couldn't decide where to settle. On one hand, Shisui had proved to be more than a friend than Itachi ever had. But on the other, she had a distinct attachment to the latter, one even Shisui couldn't come close to. And no matter how many times she tried to tell herself Itachi was more a monster than ever before, she couldn't help but feel almost sorry for him. A thought that she felt surely deserved punishment. She loved Itachi, now she knew, there was no point in denying it. After all, only love could excuse something as heinous as that, couldn't it? It was only when she thought of Shisui did she start feeling guilty for keeping those feelings. Hinamei scrubbed herself clean and exited the now lukewarm water in a hurry. Lounging around like this was almost painful. She wouldn't deny she was lazy, but this was crossing the line. She needed a distraction, more than ever.

She slipped into a dark blue dress, one that Mikoto had given her on her twelth birthday. It was a plain type of dress, but it was thick and kept the shivers from coming down her spine on days like this. She pulled her hair into a high bun and slipped a white cap over the bundle. Spare from a few chocolate wisps that framed her face, she looked like a proper lady. Like an adult, a view that was met which much disdain. But it didn't matter anymore. She had finally reached a conclusion, a fix to all of her problems.

She was going to skip town, tomorrow morning. She would travel the world and leave behind any trace of the Uchiha name. Even if it was a stupid idea, she knew she had nothing left in the village.

Even Itachi, no matter how much she might have loved him even she knew she wouldn't be able to marry someone like him. She always knew it.

For two hours she scoured her house, sticking what small belongings she had in two large backpacks that had never been used. In a smaller bag, one that tied around her arm, she stuck her mother's favorite pendant and whatever money she could come across. Once she was finished she leaned back with a satisfied smile and examined her work. It was almost a relief to feel so close to leaving it all behind. All the dirtied memories in this house, it was all unimportant now. She rocked back on her heels and stood up, dusting off the legs of her dress when a sudden, sad thought flitted across her mind.

Slowly, she made her way to the bookshelf and scanned it with her finger till she stumbled across the book she was looking for. As she sat down she leafed through it, until the center pages fell open and she was staring at the flat, dry flower Itachi had given her. "I really should leave you behind." She mumbled as she gingerly picked it up and swiveled it between two fingers. "But I'll probably regret it." A small smirk adorned her lips and she plucked the blossom from the frail stem. Hastily, she shoved her arm into her sleeve and fished out the small linen bag that held her most important things. As she unlatched the money clip that held her cash together, she tucked the flat flower into the center and gently refolded it and clipped it shut.

There were some things she refused to leave behind.

Her bruised eyes flashed towards the window, the day had already worn thin and now the grey skies had been replaced with darkness. She placed the book by her hip and yawned, fighting back the urge to curl up on the couch there and sleep. Her plans were to wake early in the morning and slip out of the village before anyone could ask questions. If she didn't find sleep soon she wouldn't ever wake up on time. Lazily, she stood up and stretched, turning off each light as she wandered back into her room. In the doorway she looked around longingly. Every bit of her childhood was left in this house, and soon it wouldn't be anything. A part of her was going to miss it, inevitably, she would miss the whole village. But she was old enough now to realize what was best for her. And this definitely wasn't it. She swept up to her window, bringing her hand up to draw the curtain when an odd mass caught her eye. She pressed her hands to the cold pane and looked through into the darkness. "H-Hiro-san?"

Her neighbor was generally a quiet man. He secluded himself into his house with only memories of the war to keep him company. But at the current moment, it appeared as if he had fallen by his house and was wasn't moving.

Her first thought was heart attack.

She whipped on her heel and snatched the katana that sat on the edge of her bed. Still barefoot, she ran through the house until she burst through the front door. "Hiro-san, please, are you alright?" The only sound on the night air was the balls of her feet pounding along the dirt road. Her breath was trapped in her throat and she ran to the edge of the house. Just in time to muffle the scream that was lingering on her tongue. Hiro was sprawled out on the ground, face up. His neck was cut to ribbons, frayed at the edges like a raw dagger had eaten its way through. The contrast of scarlet was electrifying against his chalky, pale skin. Slowly, she inched back through the dirt, her eyes unable to tear away from the slayed man only feet away. In her panic, she slipped on the dirt and fell clumsily to the floor. Tears sprang to her eyes and finally she looked away.

But evidently, she had cast her eyes in the wrong direction.

Not but ten feet in front of her stood a silhouette. He was taller than she was and thin, bulked up by the uniform he had carefully put on, but she knew that chakra well. "I-Itachi, help him." Her eyes were wide and shaking, and instinctively, she inched back farther away from him. But he didn't answer and instead, he flickered away into the shadows. Her mind was reeling, but it took only three seconds for her to pull herself up and hastily retreat back into her house.

Itachi had killed him. There was no other explanation. Itachi had been cold but never as frigid as to let a good man like Hiro go out like this. There was no way around it, the man she had once glorified had finally lost control.

Her back was pressed firmly against the door, breath coming out in short gasps like she couldn't breathe. This was almost worse than when Shisui had gotten killed. Hinamei pushed herself off of the door and made her way into the bedroom. Quickly, she closed the curtains and turned out the lights. She couldn't run, not now. If Itachi was out on the prowl, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would come for her, sooner than later. _Shisui, I don't know what to do._ Her eyes bounced back against the darkness, praying for anything.

_"Keep your eyes shut. No matter what." _Just like he had told her in the she shut her eyes. So tight that small circles of light began dancing behind her eyelids. If Shisui were here right now he would know what to do. He would protect her from the evil that was Itachi. But he wasn't and she realized that no matter how long her eyes stayed closed, the danger was still there. Angrily, her eyes snapped back open. There was only one thing left to do. What Shisui had tried for so long to teach her. She had no choice now, she was going to have to fight to stay alive.

"I'm brave Shisui. I'm stronger too because of you." Back and forth, he was waiting for the right moment to strike. When he thought she would be weakest. "I won't go down as a coward, not anymore!" She tore the katana from the sheath quickly, extending it out in front of her like a wall. If Itachi thought she would fall fast like the others, he was mistaken. She swore to prove it to everyone, to herself. All there was left to do now was wait. For what seemed like hours she stood there, her eyes a blank canvas. He was taking his time, he was toying with her and she knew it. The blade shone in the pale moonlight, creating small windows on the walls. Every second that went by she felt the pain sink deeper and deeper into her. No matter how strong she might be, the heartbreak was going to be a whole different story. _Maybe they caught him. _But her eyes flickered upwards when she realized she had spoken too soon. A large, dark chakra was creeping around her, filling the air like poison but she recognized it at once. She stepped back uneasily, still holding the sword out in front of her, ready for the assault. The front door groaned as it was pushed open, footsteps echoed off the silent walls and she watched as Itachi stepped through her door.

"Uchiha Hinamei, you look like a fool." It sounded so unlike him, cold and hard without an ounce of remorse laced inbetween. She blinked at his silhouette, and somehow she knew he was grinning. "What are you waiting for?" So this was it, he was playing games with her. Even after all this time she hadn't earned an ounce of respect. It was almost ironic. She spent so long trying to impress him and in the end none of it paid of. He still saw her as a toddler, stupid and full of questions that had no answers.

"Don't be so cruel, you've come to kill me." As quiet as she was she knew he heard her. "Haven't you?" He must of thought it funny as she stood before him trying to act brave. Is this what Shisui would have done? As Itachi stepped forward, the light from the living room window bathed him. He was covered in blood spray, smirking. With a tilt of his head he stared into her.

"Why should I answer that? It looks as though you've already expected a battle. I wouldn't want to dissapoint you now." His hand flew upwards until the tanto was secured in his grip, he brought it out and brandished it in front of himself, mirroring her own stance. But she guessed he looked a lot more intimidating then she did. "I didn't expect this of you." Another step forward, "It's so unlike you to stand up for yourself." Hinamei resisted the urge to step back, she could feel the sweat coat her palm, struggling to keep the katana straight.

"What a shame," she replied cooly, hoping he wouldn't see through her facade. "This is exactly what I expected of you." Itachi gave a low threatening laugh and she had to look away. It was unbearable, the pain inside her chest was urging her to cry out and let go. But she had top refrain. This was her biggest moment yet.

"Is that so?" He asked chidingly. "I should have given you more credit. You're much more than that idiot girl I once knew." His words were biting, but she refused to let it reach her. "Shisui really taught you someting didn't he? What a waste," he spat it out harshly and her eyes narrowed in response.

"Don't say his name like that. How can you even mention him after what you did?" The anger was bubbling up, getting harder and harder to repress. Itachi didn't deserve to mutter that name, not in front of her.

"What I did? I don't think you understand, I owe Shisui for everything_ he _did_ for _me. These eyes, this power. All thanks to his selfless sacrifice. He would be proud."

A flash of light, Hinamei swung her blade widely in front of her, ready to slice. "He loved you Itachi! He always had! How can you say something like that? How could you kill him so easily?" Her voice cracked and she let her blade dip towards the ground. This wasn't Itachi anymore. This was a monster.

"It's the same way I can kill you. You people, disgusting. I once thought you were the one who was different, but you're just like the rest of them. Dumb and blind. You deserve this." In a flicker, his sword was pressed up against her neck, digging into the soft milky flesh with ease. "But I have to admit, it's almost endearing watching you try to fight me." Tears batted at her eyes and she shook, her fingers tightening at the hilt. He was fast.

"You're wrong Itachi, wrong about everyone." She swallowed roughly, shaking now harder than before. He quirked his eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but Hinamei stole the next move. She brought her hand up and knocked away his wrist, taking the small opening the leap back and hold her sword upright. His scarlet eyes watched her with amusement, he corrected his posture and held his sword up in defense. He thought it was a game, but she was desperate to show him the truth. She stormed forward and the air rang as their blades clashed. His eyes widened in shock, she was faster than he had expected and her skill with the sword was well beyond what he had orignially thought. He found himself having to work to defend himself. A notion he once would have scoffed at. His eyes narrowed and he jumped out of the way of her wide swing. Narrowly dodging the razor sharp blade. "How many did you kill?"

"All of them." Her eyes narrowed and she swung down again. He matched her strike with his smaller blade, and she swing right to release his hold.

"Your mother and father too?" Suddenly, a churning thought made her mouth dry. "And Sasuke?" Itachi's eyes shone bright, he didn't answer but she knew. "H-how could you?" Hinamei's eyes were wide, trembling. She was losing control. Imagining the small, tattered body of Sasuke made her feel so small. Who was she in Itachi's eyes, if Sasuke had only been another kill as well. Itachi's eyes grazed the floor momentarily and he stumbled backwards.

"Shut up Hinamei!" His voice was loud, she hadn't ever really heard Itachi now and for that she was glad. It was frightening. "You don't understand any of this! I tried to warn you, I tried to tell you but-" He growled and held his hand to his face. He was struggling, that was easy to say, but it wasn't just his words he was at a loss for. Without warning, he sprang at her again, not holding back. She stumbled backwards, it was nearly impossible to keep up with him. He stabbed at every direction, desperately trying to get a hit in. But she was at a dead end, the wall was at her back and Itachi was still as mad as ever.

Blood sprang from her arm, spiraling down her milky flesh like black on white. She dropped her own sword and gasped, slapping her hand to the wound Itachi had just ruthlessly delivered. It was deep. Itachi watched the blood pour out and when he made eye contact with her he smiled, raising the tanto dangerously above her head. She slammed her eyes shut just as the blade was coming for her face. It cut hard, tearing pieces as it sunk in deeper.

"Look at me Hinamei." The tanto was jammed firmly into the wall, not even an inch away from her face. "Look at me," he repeated. It wasn't until his fingers touched her face, warm with blood, did she open her eyes. He wasn't smiling anymore. His face was etched with sadness and regret, the scarlet was gone from his eyes now and all that remained was a dusty black. Soft and warm. "Think of it as a parting gift." Before she could speak, he bent down close to her face. His lips brushed up against her quivering mouth and he spoke, "run while you can, please." He pressed forward and crushed his lips into hers, holding for just a slight second before he pulled away. Hinamei's eyes glazed over and she repressed the urge to cry then. Was this really how it was going to end, with the one thing she had yearned for, for so long now. He was years overdue for this. He stepped back and slid his blade from the wall, replacing it back into its holster on his back. As he stepped back to turn away, she held her arm out desperately. Wincing as the wound flexed.

"Itachi wait! W-will I see you after this? At all?" It was a stupid question to ask then, she knew. But there was something in his kiss that brought her to her knees. This was all too soon, she couldn't leave now.

After all, she loved him.

His dark eyes gently brushed her face and he turned away completely until all she could see was his back. "Never again. Now leave before I change my mind."

* * *

Those were his parting words to me. The last thing he spoke before he disappeared out of my life.

I won't ever forget them, and for his sake, I'll keep running. Even now, all I can see is darkness. The trees are thick and the ground is rough, but I refuse to look back. I refuse to turn around and see if he's still there. I can't bear the dissapointment of knowing he won't be. But thanks to him, the world seems much less terrifying. I can see everything now, I can see it for what it truly is.

And this is what makes me an Uchiha. But unlike them I vow, these eyes will only ever be used to help those who need it. I won't kill to kill. I won't hurt for the hell of it. No, because like Itachi always said, I wasn't really an Uchiha. I was different. And for once in my life I took pride in that. Because for all I knew, that's what set me free that night.

As I run, I think back on what he said. But it doesn't matter much, even if he said he wouldn't see me again, I know better.

Itachi was never really good with promises anyway.


End file.
